


The Avengers vs The Peter Factor

by midnightwolf2192



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers Family, BAMF Pepper Potts, BAMF Peter Parker, Bullied Peter Parker, Domestic Avengers, F/M, Hurt Peter Parker, Kidnapping, May Parker (Spider-Man) & Tony Stark Coparenting Peter Parker, Natasha Romanov Is Not A Robot, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Not Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Compliant, Not Spider-Man: Far From Home Compliant, Not Spider-Man: Homecoming Compliant, Peter Parker Acts Like a Spider, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter is a Little Shit, Precious Peter Parker, Protective May Parker (Spider-Man), Protective Michelle Jones, Protective Natasha Romanov, Protective Ned Leeds, Protective Peter Parker, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-07
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:40:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 60,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24054550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/midnightwolf2192/pseuds/midnightwolf2192
Summary: No one could ever guess that The Avengers would fall to something known as The Peter Factor. This story tells of how each and every Avenger became wrapped around Peter Parker's finger without Peter even being aware of it.
Relationships: Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Avengers Team, Peter Parker & Everyone, Peter Parker & Guardians of the Galaxy Team, Peter Parker & Natasha Romanov, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 772
Kudos: 3481
Collections: Avidreaders Avengers WIP faves, Avidreaders Spiderman WIP faves, Fics that I want to read once they are complete, Irondad and his Iron kids, Peter Parker's Tales, SolaceShay's TBR





	1. Tony Stark

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first multi-chapter fic I have published for a long time. I can't say for certain when updates will be but I will try to be consistent.  
> More tags will be added as chapters are written.

Tony had been the first Avenger to fall for the ‘Peter Factor’ as it came to be known and it happened purely by accident. Sure, Tony’s intentions on first meeting Peter had been purely self-indulgent but as he got to know the kid, that changed. Sooner than expected, Peter’s happiness became Tony’s ultimate goal.

At first, Peter had been an asset. Spiderman would be useful in the fight against Cap and his team. From the videos Tony had seen, this new player on the hero scene was as strong, if not stronger than Cap. That would help to even the teams out since Cap had himself and Barnes as the muscle. So, Tony flew the Spider-Kid to Germany, revamped his suit and pointed him in the direction of the fight.

After the whole Zemo situation was sorted and the Accords were updated appropriately (that took months in itself – Secretary Ross was a supreme asshole and it had taken the collective efforts of both Pepper and Rhodey to keep Tony from blasting him with his gauntlets), the ‘Rogue’ Avengers returned to the newly repurchased Stark Tower. Tony was still not on speaking terms with Barnes or Rogers, was only slightly frosty towards Wanda and had little resentment for Scott and Clint (if only because he knew those two were involved to protect their families). Tony was even able to forgive Natasha (only because she cornered him one night and forced him to hash everything out with her). He was burying himself in work, anything to keep him occupied and away from the common areas where the others would occupy.

This hadn’t escaped the notice of those closest to him and soon Pepper, Rhodey, and Happy were having secret meetings behind Tony’s back to try and strategise a way to get Tony out of his lab.

“I’ve got it!” Happy finally announced during one of their meetings. Pepper and Rhodey looked over at the now smiling Asset Manager as he pulled out his phone. “The Kid.”

“What kid?” Pepper asked but after a moment, Rhodey let out a noise of agreement. “What kid? Tony hasn’t got some mystery child I need to be worried about does he. Please tell me I don’t have a PR nightmare on my hands.”

“No nothing like that Boss,” Happy said. “The Spider-Kid. The one he took to Germany.”

“How can he help?” Rhodey had asked.

“Tony has me monitoring all of the things he does. I can just give it back to him and tell him I’m getting too busy. We encourage Tony to work with Peter, maybe make him a proper intern or something. That will give him something to focus on. And, I swear I’ll deny this if either of you say anything, that kid could bring anyone out of their shell. He’s like an overexcited puppy. It would be perfect for Tony,” Happy said. Once Pepper and Rhodey mulled this idea over, they both nodded in agreement.

The next day, Happy had walked into Tony’s room and had grabbed the man’s phone from the table beside him.

“Happy? What the hell are you doing?” Tony asked. Happy looked over at his friend and shook his head. His face was sunken, and his usually immaculately groomed face was shaggy. He had dark circles under his eyes, indicating to all who saw that he had not slept properly in a while.

“Giving you your Spider-Kid back,” Tony said. He programmed Peter’s number and email into the phone and saved the details. “Boss lady has increased my asset work and so I can’t keep monitoring him. Your turn.”

“But Happy!” Tony attempted to protest, and the other man simply glared. “I don’t know how to deal with a kid!”

“Tony, he’s a teenager. They are pretty self-sufficient,” Happy replied and Tony scoffed. “Look, all you have to do is reply to his messages every so often. He’s pretty smart if the ramblings I keep getting are anything to go by. Maybe you could invite him over to the Tower.”

“Why? Does he need some tech or something?” Tony asked. Happy let out an inaudible growl. His friend genuinely thought that people only wanted him for what he could give them. Happy wanted to deck anyone who had ever made Tony feel like his worth was based on what he could give them.

“Nah. I don’t think so. Honestly, I think he’s bored at school. Probably why I get so many damn messages from him,” Happy said, borderline fondly. “Just shoot him a message and tell him to swing by. Make it a lab day or something. Have him build something if you really need proof that the kid who made his own web fluid and hacked your suit is smart enough to be here.”

Without waiting for an answer, Happy left Tony’s lab. He instructed FRIDAY to forward all voicemails, messages, and emails from Peter to Tony’s phone and he walked back up to Pepper’s office with a smile and a spring in his step.

“How did he take it?” Pepper asked as Happy entered.

“Didn’t give him much of a choice. Operation Spider is a go ma’am,” Happy said and both of them laughed.

Meanwhile, Tony’s phone had blown up with the messages that Happy had forwarded.

“FRIDAY, what do I do with a teenager?” Tony asked his AI helplessly. “I’m going to completely ruin him.”

“I don’t think that’s possible Boss,” FRIDAY’s comforting voice echoed around the lab. “Peter seems to be a smart child. Perhaps treat him like an adult and go from there.”

“Thanks Baby Girl,” Tony said as he picked up his phone. He moved away from the bench and sat down on the couch in the corner of the lab. He then spent the next two hours listening to all of Peter’s voicemails and reading all the emails and messages. Most of them were just updates about patrols he had done but some of the emails and massages were more scientific. Some of them were ideas for improvements to his web fluid while others were potential upgrades for the suit.

“Boss?” FRIDAY’s voice broke Tony out of his reverie. He looked up at one of the cameras and nodded for FRIDAY to continue. “Platypus is requesting you join him for lunch. He says he will meet you on your private floor in 15 minutes time. I have been ordered to play ‘bubblegum pop’ until you leave your lab, just so you know.”

“Thanks for letting me know sweetheart,” Tony said. He then finally listened to the cues of his body and realised he was starving. “Hope he’s ordered something good.”

Tony stood and shut down his tablet. After giving an affectionate pat to Dum-E, U, and Butterfingers, he walked out of his lab and into the elevator. He ordered FRI to take him to his floor while his fingers ghosted over the phone before finally opening a message to Peter.

_Hey kid. It’s Tony. Happy gave me your number. Give me a call on your lunch break, nothing urgent. I’ve got something to float past you – T.S._

Tony sent the message before he could regret typing it and slipped the phone back into the pocket of his trackpants. He entered his and Pepper’s private floor and walked into the kitchen. He turned the coffee pot on and asked FRIDAY to put a movie on as background noise.

10 minutes later, Rhodey arrived at the penthouse, expecting to need to enact his threat to get Tony out of his lab. Instead, he was stunned to see Tony sitting on the lounge casually sipping a cup of coffee.

“I thought I’d have to drag you up here,” Rhodey said as he sat the Chinese food, he’d brought down on the coffee table. “Colour me surprised.”

“Well I think if I’m going to have an impressionable teenager around, I should start to set a better example,” Tony replied and Rhodey smiled conspiratorially. “I know you had something to do with this so tell me, how does one keep a super smart teenager occupied?”

Tony and Rhodey spent their lunch tossing ideas back and forth about what to do with peter. They were just finishing up when Tony’s phone began to ring. A nervous smile crossed the billionaire’s face as he answered the call.

“Hey Kid,” Tony said happily down the line.

_“Hey Mr Stark. I got your message. Sorry it took me a while to call. I was in chemistry when your message came through and it felt like the class would drag on forever,”_ Peter’s excited voice echoed down the line and Rhodey watched as the nervousness left Tony’s smile and the smile became more sincere. _“So, how can I help Mr Stark? Is there a mission or something that you need backup for?”_

“No, nothing like that,” Tony said with a small chuckle. Rhodey stood to start clearing their trash while trying not to be too obvious in his eavesdropping. “I was actually calling to see if you wanted to swing by the Tower this afternoon. I was thinking that maybe we could work together on something.”

_“Seriously?”_ Peter’s voice was oozing excitement that was palpable. Rhodey had to supress a laugh at the confused face Tony was making. _“I would absolutely love that Mr Stark. OH MY GOD! This is going to be awesome!”_

“Great. I’ll send Happy to pick you up. What time does school let out?” Tony asked.

_“Um 2:45. But I still need to check with Aunt May. I mean, I REALLY want to come and surely she’ll say yes but I should ask,”_ Peter said rapidly, and Tony laughed again, louder this time.

“I’ll call her and get approval kid. So, I’ll tell Happy to be out the front of your school at 2:45,” Tony replied. “And kid, I’m really looking forward to this.”

_“Me too Mr Stark. See you later,”_ Peter chirped happily before hanging up the phone. Rhodey smiled brightly – Operation Spider was progressing nicely.

After Tony had called May Parker and received her approval, he messaged Peter and told him the news. When Rhodey returned from the kitchen and was getting ready to leave, Tony was stroking his chin.

“I need to shave. Can’t have the kid thinking I’m a mess,” Tony said absentmindedly.

“Well Tones, I’m off,” Rhodey said fondly. Tony stood and surprised Rhodey by pulling him into a tight hug.

“Thanks for lunch,” Tony said softly. “If you have time, I mean, if you aren’t too busy, we should do this again tomorrow. Or even Friday if you had the time.”

“Sure Tones. I can do tomorrow. How about we do Mexican this time?” Rhodey asked and Tony nodded. Rhodey gave his friend one final squeeze before saying his goodbyes.

Once the other man had left, Tony sent a message to Happy advising him of what he needed to do before entering his bathroom and setting about his grooming routine. Once his face was freshly groomed, Tony walked down to his lab.

“Dum-E, we need to clean this up,” Tony said as the little bot chirped and approached him. “We’ve got a visitor coming today and he shouldn’t have to deal with our mess.”

For the rest of the afternoon, Tony and the bots cleaned and organised the lab. They even set up a bench solely for Peter to work at. Just as Dum-E and U were putting the final things away, there was a knock at the lab door. Turning, a wide smile crossed Tony’s face as Peter waved animatedly and Happy smirked.

“Hey kid,” Tony said once the doors opened. Peter raced in and skidded to a stop in front of Tony.

“Hey Mr Stark,” Peter said excitedly. “This place is awesome! FRIDAY is so cool!”

“I’ll leave you to it. Call me when you want to head home squirt,” Happy said, almost fondly.

“Bye Happy! Thanks for the lift,” Peter called back and Happy waved before he left. Peter turned back to face Tony, but Dum-E caught his gaze when he let out a soft chirp. “Oh, hey buddy. Who is this Mr Stark?”  
  


Peter dropped his bag down off his shoulder and instantly gave the bot a pat on the claw. Dum-E let out an excited chirp and spun his claw in what could only be perceived as happiness.

“That’s Dum-E. He’s the first bot I ever made,” Tony said proudly. Peter continued patting Dum-E and the noises the bot was making soon attracted U and Butterfingers. “This is U and Butterfingers. They help me around the lab.”

“Hey guys,” Peter said. His tone reminded Tony of how people talk to either pets or children. Peter gave all three bots pats and all three began chirping excitedly. “They are simply awesome.”

“Yeah but don’t drink anything Dum-E gives you. He tries to make smoothies, but they always seem to have motor oil in them,” Tony said, and Peter laughed. Dum-E let out a soft, dejected sound and Peter instantly started cooing at him.

“Oh, don’t be sad buddy,” Peter said as he patted Dum-E’s claw again. “You don’t mean too. Motor oil is good for you but not for us. That’s alright. I’ll try whatever smoothie you make me; I promise.”

The three bots let out happy chirps before zooming away, Dum-E grabbing Peter’s backpack as he went.

“So, what are we working on?” Peter asked as he turned back to Tony.

“Whatever you want. I had nothing particular in mind,” Tony answered, and Peter looked around the lab like a kid in a candy store. “We could build and code you your own bot if you’d like.”

“Awesome!” Peter exclaimed excitedly. Tony led Peter own to the empty bench and Peter looked at it in slight confusion. “What’s this?”

“This is a holo-table,” Tony said. He waved his hand over it and Peter let out an excited noise as hologram blueprints appeared. “So, lets brainstorm. Tell me about your ideal bot.”

For the next 2 hours, Tony and Peter set about designing a bot for Peter. At the end of their brainstorming session, they had decided to create something like BB-8 from the Star Wars movies.

“So, tell me about BB-8. What does it do?” Tony asked as Peter sketched out a rough design.

“Have you seen the new Star Wars?” Peter asked and when Tony shook his head, the teen gasped. “You need to get on that! BB-8 is the best. He’s the most sassy, helpful droid ever.”

“Mr Parker, would you like me to project some of the Star Wars scenes including BB-8 onto the wall so that Boss can get an idea of what you mean?” FRIDAY’s voice echoed around the lab and Peter jumped, having forgotten she was there.

“If you can Miss FRIDAY. But don’t go to too much trouble on my account,” Peter said with a blush and Tony could practically feel his heart expanding. This kid was adorable. Not only had he won Tony’s bots over, but he was speaking respectfully to FRIDAY as though she were human.

“It’s no trouble at all,” FRIDAY said and if Tony didn’t know better, he’d say his AI was growing fond of the teen. Within seconds, scenes from the new Star Wars movie was being projected and Tony began to get an idea as to what kind of bot Peter wanted.

“This is going to be a fun build,” Tony said once the scenes had finished. Peter looked at him with eyes shining full of excitement. “Let’s get started.”

Another 3 hours passed before Peter looked up from where he and Tony were starting to put pieces together. Tony looked over to where Peter was looking and noticed Rhodey standing in the doorway.

“Platypus, come in,” Tony said. Rhodey rolled his eyes before walking over to the bench. Peter was staring up at Rhodey with wide eyes and Tony laughed. “Platypus, this is Peter. Peter, this is Rhodey. I know you pair met briefly in Germany, but this is a better introduction.”

“Hi there Lieutenant Colonel Mr War Machine Rhodes Sir,” Peter said as he dropped the tool he had been using and shook Rhodey’s hand. Rhodey let out a choked sound at the use of all those titles while Tony let out a bark of laughter.

“How about just Rhodey kid? That’s way too long,” Rhodey said as he let Peter’s hand go.

“Sure Mr Rhodey,” Peter replied, and Tony supressed a laugh at Rhodey’s face.

“We’ll work on that,” Rhodey said before turning to Tony. “Tones, Pepper sent me down to retrieve you for dinner.”

‘It can’t be that time already?” Tony said before looking at his watch. Sure enough, the time was 8:30pm already. He hadn’t even realised how fast time was moving. “Well damn.”

“I should probably get going. Aunt May will be wondering where I am,” Peter said although he shot a dejected look at the pieces of bot that littered the bench.

“Why don’t you come back tomorrow after school and we can keep working?” Tony offered and Peter smiled brightly. “I’ll have Happy pick you up at the same time as today.”

“Thank you so much Mr Stark,” Peter replied. Dum-E rolled over with Peter’s backpack between his claw and when Peter took it from him, Dum-E lifted its arm and patted Peter on the head. “I’ll see you tomorrow buddy. Maybe you can make me a smoothie then.”

Dum-E let out a serious of excited chirps before Happy arrived at the lab. Peter said his final goodbyes to Tony and Rhodey before following Happy out of the lab, talking animatedly the whole time.

The next afternoon, Tony was actually excited to have someone in his space. He had spent the whole day eagerly anticipating Peter’s arrival. At 3:30, FRIDAY announced that Peter and Happy were making their way up to the lab.

“FRI remind me to organise a badge for Peter. No need for Hap to keep bringing him up,” Tony said, and FRIDAY responded affirmatively just as the elevator doors opened and Peter entered the lab.

“Hey Mr Stark,” Peter said. Before Tony could respond, Dum-E let out a loud chirp and raced over to Peter. When he reached the teen, he tugged on his jumper until Peter bent over. Once he had, Dum-E bopped him on the forehead gently. The teen laughed at the bot’s antics and patted his claw. “Hey buddy. Good to see you too.”

Dum-E took Peter’s bag again and raced back over to his corner. Peter smiled at the bot before approaching Mr Stark.

“I think you’re his new favourite person,” Tony teased as Peter rolled up his sleeves.

“Nah. You’ll always be his favourite. I’ll just be the second favourite,” Peter replied, and Tony laughed. “Did you work on BB-8 today? I mean, you probably have way better things to be doing than that but…”

“Kid,” Tony interrupted before Peter could launch into a full-on ramble. “I didn’t work on him but only because that’s our thing. We work on him together. And I think that if we work really hard, we can fully assemble his body today and move onto the coding.”

Peter smiled and rolled up his sleeves. As they worked, Tony took the time to look over at the teen. Peter was slowly but surely worming his way into Tony’s cold heart. Since the Avengers had broken up and the people he had thought of as friends had left him, Tony had found it hard to let people in. He’d always had trust issues (thank you Howard Stark for those) but the fracturing of the Avengers had not only cemented those issues but had dug them deeper into his very soul.

But here Tony sat, working side-by-side with someone who only 24 hours ago had been a stranger to him. But as they worked, Tony was beginning to see Peter as a permanent fixture in his lab and life.

“Hey Pete,” Tony said after they had been working for an hour. Peter turned away from his work and smiled at the older man. Tony took a deep breath before continuing. “I was wondering, and you are more than welcome to reject me, ok?”

“Mr Stark, you’re rambling,” Peter said teasingly, and Tony flicked the teen on the nose.

“I wanted to offer you an internship. With me,” Tony said, and a loud crash was heard as Peter dropped the screwdriver he’d been holding. “Not just to work on Spiderman things, although that would be pretty cool. But a proper, honest to God internship.”

“But,” Peter started but couldn’t seem to find the words. “But. I’m… but.”

“But what Pete?” Tony prompted and Peter took a few deep breaths.

“I’m… nobody. I’m just Peter,” Peter said softly, and Tony’s heart broke at the dejection in Peter’s tone. “I’m sure there are a hundred people more worthy of an internship. I’m just a nobody.”

“You’re right,” Tony said after a minute and Peter’s face fell. “You are just Peter. And that’s what makes you perfect.”

Peter stared up at Tony in confusion. Tony placed his tools down and turned to face the teen properly.

“That’s why I want you as my intern. Because you are ‘just Peter’,” Tony explained softly. “Kid, I have had people all my life telling me who to be, how to act, what to do and a whole bunch of other stuff. I have never been able to be ‘just Tony’. However, with you, I think I can do that. This right here, what we are building, is the most fun I’ve had in years. I want to see what amazing things you are going to do with that brain of yours. You are so intelligent Peter. You are a complete visionary and I want to be a part of your future.”

“Mr Stark,” Peter let out a breathy sigh and Tony smiled.

“Listen close kid. One day, I have no doubt that you will be MY boss. I think that having you as an intern won’t only be beneficial for you but will be beneficial for the world. I can only imagine the things you’ll do one day,” Tony said, and Peter smiled, tears welling up in his eyes. “Beyond Spiderman, there is a brilliant young man in there and I want to see him flourish. So, what do you say? Want to be my intern?”

“Yes. I would love that Mr Stark,” Peter replied. He made an aborted move and Tony raised an eyebrow. “I know we aren’t there, but I really want to hug you. You’ve just made one of my biggest dreams come true.”

Tony surprised himself by opening his arms and he soon had an armful of teenager. As Peter chanted his thanks into Tony’s shirt, Tony silently thanked the teen for what he’d done to help the billionaire in such a short time.

And so, the first Avenger fell victim to “The Peter Factor”.


	2. Pepper

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who commented so far. Please enjoy Pepper falling to The Peter Factor :)

The first time Pepper heard about the Spider-Kid was when Tony was sitting up in their bed watching videos on YouTube of the kid swinging around. 

“Who’s that?” Pepper had asked as she rolled over to look at her boyfriend. 

“Some new player. A vigilante working out of Queens,” Tony had answered. The video showed the person swinging around and then catching a speeding car just before it ploughed into a bus. “Imagine how strong this guy has to be!” 

“Tony, it’s 2am. Go to sleep. Your vigilante will still be there in the morning,” Pepper said fondly and Tony (after some argument) put his STARKPad down and cuddled Pepper closer to him. 

The next time she heard about the Spider-Kid was when Tony was in Berlin. She had been worried about his chances against Rogers and his little team so had been trying to get all the information she could on whoever Tony had recruited.

_ “Pep, darling, everything will be alright,”  _ Tony said as they spoke the night before the showdown was due to happen. _“I have my little ace up my sleeve.”_

__

“Who Tony?” Pepper had demanded and Tony smiled. 

_ “Spiderman,”  _ Tony had replied, and it was only after years of knowing Tony that Pepper knew exactly who he was talking about. 

The next time she had heard about “Spiderman” had been when Happy had brought him up as a solution to Tony’s depression during the Accords re-vamp. She had been naturally hesitant at first. Despite Jim and Happy’s reassurances, she had no idea who this person (well, teenager as she soon learnt) was. She didn’t know his motives and knowing how secretive Tony was, she probably wouldn’t be able to find out unless she was told. 

But she needn’t have worried. The first day that the Spider-Kid was due to arrive, Pepper had been surprised in her office after lunch by Jim. 

“Jim, what’s wrong? Could you not get Tony out of his lab?” Pepper asked as Rhodey entered her office. But the smile on his face made her pause. 

“Better than that Pep. We not only had lunch together and organised to have lunch together again tomorrow, but he organised for Spider-Kid to come by this afternoon. Then he went and shaved for the first time in days,” Rhodey replied and Pepper couldn’t stop the grin from crossing her face. “And on my way up here, FRIDAY told me he had made his way down to the lab to clean it up.”

“Well then, I’m already indebted to this child,” Pepper said with a fond smile. 

“I think this is going to be good for him. He may actually take better care of himself if he has someone looking up to him,” Rhodey replied. “If it’s alright with you, I’d like to stay for dinner tonight. Just to see how he is after some time spent with the kid.” 

“Of course, Jim. You never have to ask,” Pepper replied. Rhodey stood and, after kissing Pepper on the cheek, walked out of her office. 

“FRIDAY,” Pepper called out softly once the door closed behind Rhodey. 

“Yes Miss Potts?” FRIDAY’s voice was calming and Pepper smiled. 

“Can you keep me updated on Tony’s vitals once the kid arrives please,” Pepper asked. “But don’t let him know. This is just between us.” 

“Of course ma’am,” FRIDAY replied before the AI fell silent. 

Normally this might be considered spying but for Pepper it was about peace of mind. After all the shit Tony had been put through by people he had thought were his friends, like hell would anyone else hurt that man she loved. He may put out an uncaring façade for the world to see but deep down, Tony cared intensely. While ever Pepper was able, no one would harm Tony Stark on her watch again. 

The workday passed quickly and at 3:30, FRIDAY started sending updates through to Pepper about Tony. Pepper was happy to note that his vitals were steady and in fact, his blood pressure and general heart rate had decreased in the time he was with the kid. 

Pepper turned her computer off at 6:00 and walked up to the penthouse. On the way, she opened her phone and asked FRIDAY to pull up footage from Tony’s lab (she wasn’t spying, not really. She was merely curious). The sight that greeted her had her cooing slightly (although she would deny that if anyone asked). 

Tony was sitting at a holo-table beside a teenager with curly brown hair. Both were talking animatedly with their hands and were pushing design elements back and forth between them. On the wall appeared to be a movie playing and FRIDAY explained that Tony and Peter were going to make a version of BB-8 from Star Wars. 

What made Pepper the happiest was that Tony was smiling. Not his usual fake, paparazzi smile. But an actual, genuine smile. This was the kind of smile that reached his eyes and made the crow’s feet and wrinkles on his face more pronounced. The smile that Tony only ever had on his face around Pepper, Happy, or Rhodey. Pepper had no more concerns about the kid. If he could make Tony this happy in such a short amount of time, he would always have a place in their home. 

Pepper decided to make dinner herself that night instead of ordering out so while she set about making lasagna, potato bake, and roast veggies, she had FRIDAY play one of her Spotify playlists. 

Just as she was pulling dinner out of the oven at 8:30, Rhodey walked into the kitchen.

“Pepper, this smells amazing,” Rhodey said as he kissed her on the cheek. “Where’s Tony?” 

“Still downstairs with Peter,” Pepper replied. “Could you go and get him while I finish serving this up?”

Rhodey left the room and Pepper, wanting to see how this meeting would go, had FRIDAY project the footage from the lab onto the wall. She couldn’t help but laugh out loud as Peter called Rhodey “Lieutenant Colonel Mr War Machine Rhodes Sir” and for a moment she considered having FRIDAY make that Rhodey’s contact name in her phone but she refrained (barely). Pepper also found herself cooing again at the dejected looks on both Tony and Peter’s faces when they realised their time was up. After Tony had invited Peter back the next day, Pepper turned the feed off and focused on dinner. 

When Tony and Rhodey arrived in the penthouse, Pepper could only smile and press a kiss to Tony’s lips. This was the calmest she had seen him in months. 

The first time Pepper actually met Peter was different than anyone ever expected but if you asked Pepper, she would say that she wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. 

Being in a relationship with Tony Stark meant that Pepper could generally cope with surprises. Surprises like Tony announcing he was working on getting the Avengers pardoned and getting the Accords changed even after everything they had done to him. However, the sight of a teenage boy sitting under Tony’s desk was a new one. Pepper was just getting ready to question the boy when she realised that he was deep in the grips of a panic attack. She dropped the paperwork she had for Tony to sign and approached the desk. 

“It’s alright. You’re safe here,” Pepper generally knew how to talk to someone having a panic attack thanks to her experiences with Tony. She started to breathe deeply, hoping that the boy would catch on. “Match your breaths to mine. Good job.” 

It took a few minutes but eventually the boy began to take in some deep breaths. 

“Good job. Now let’s try and ground you. Can you tell me 5 things you can see?” Pepper said softly, keeping her tone and breathing even so that the boy didn’t become more agitated. 

“You. Carpet. Clouds. Table leg. Skyscraper,” The boy panted out after a few tries. 

“Good, now 4 things you can feel,” Pepper continued. 

Pepper coached the boy through all the grounding steps and once he had finally finished, he opened his eyes and looked apologetically up at Pepper. 

“Wow. Oh, Miss Potts Ma’am. I’m so sorry,” the boy spluttered out and Pepper couldn’t help the spark of affection that shot through her. “God! I’m so sorry. I’m so embarrassed.” 

“You have nothing to be embarrassed about sweetie,” Pepper said. “But I would like to know how you got up here?” 

“I was in the lab working while Mr Stark was looking at his emails. He got really mad at something and he started to yell. I guess I just went into sensory overload,” The boy replied sheepishly. “I asked FRIDAY to get me somewhere quiet and I guess she led me here.” 

“Well Peter, why don’t you and I head up to my office and you can sit with me. No-one should be alone after such an intense panic attack,” Pepper said as she got to her feet. 

“I’m sure you’re super busy Miss Potts. You’ve probably got much better things to be doing than taking care of a stupid kid who can’t even handle a bit of yelling,” Peter said self-deprecatingly as he rubbed the back of his neck. Pepper’s heart broke a little at that and she frowned. Peter climbed out from under the table and Pepper was even more determined to help him. 

“Nonsense!” Pepper said. She walked over to the dropped papers and, after putting them in a pile on Tony’s desk, turned back to Peter. “Come on. Tony can shout us lunch. I think we both deserve it.” 

She held her hand out and after a moment, Peter took it with a smile. The pair made their way to the elevator and travelled up to Pepper’s office. 

When Tony finally found them (after eventually noticing Peter wasn’t in the lab and asking FRIDAY where his intern was), he smiled at the sight in front of him. Pepper and Peter were curled up on Pepper’s couch with FRIDAY projecting “Zootopia” onto one of Pepper’s blank walls. They had open containers of Indian food between them and Tony softly asked FRIDAY to take a picture of the scene. He joined them on the couch and helped himself to some of the food. Peter was pressed in between Pepper and Tony and Tony couldn’t wipe the smile off his face as his intern cuddled in closer to Pepper (while still keeping one hand in contact with Tony). 

When Peter finally left for the day (only after promising Pepper that he would come by again for another movie session), Pepper turned to her boyfriend and put her hands on her hips. 

“That boy is sunshine personified. When he is here, you let me know. Don’t even think of keeping him locked away all for yourself. I will hurt you if you do,” Pepper warned fiercely, and Tony could only smile. 

When Peter next arrived at Stark Tower, he was surprised when FRIDAY took him up to level 78 rather than to the labs. 

“Um FRI? What am I doing up here?” Peter asked as he exited the elevator. Level 78 was high level offices, generally belonging to the legal teams and higher management figures. 

“Boss Lady asked to see you before you lock yourself in the lab,” FRIDAY replied just as Pepper’s head emerged from a room. 

“Hey Peter,” Pepper called out and Peter smiled at the woman. He slowly walked down the hallway until he reached her office. “How are you today?”

“I’m fine thank you Miss Potts,” Peter replied. He knew that Pepper had told him to call her by her name but there was no way he could do that. He had been raised right by Ben and May. “Did you need me for something?”

“Not specifically. I did want your opinions on somethings though if you don’t mind,” Pepper said as she led him into her office. She indicated for him to sit down and he did so without complaint. “I was hoping to get some new perspective on a venture Stark Industries is looking at investing in.”

“Why me? I mean, surely you have people whose job it is to do this?” Peter asked. He wasn’t being disrespectful, simply curious. 

“Yes, but those people are all college students or adults who have been working in their fields for many years. The venture is aimed more towards teenagers and getting them involved in STEM or medical opportunities and I thought you might be the best person to bounce ideas off.” 

While Peter and Pepper spoke animatedly about the new venture, Tony was watching them through the security cameras. When Peter hadn’t arrived at the lab after his arrival, Tony had initially been worried but when FRIDAY had explained that Pepper wanted to see him, Tony could only smile. 

As Pepper stepped forward and hugged Peter, Tony opened a locked file on the holo-table. He placed another check mark on the board before shrinking the program. The “Peter Factor” had claimed its second victim in Pepper Potts. And heaven help anyone that decided to attempt anything against someone with Pepper Potts in their corner. 


	3. Rhodey

Rhodey had first met Peter Parker on the battlefield. At the time, he only knew him by his alter-ego Spider-Man but that was technically their first meeting. During the fight, Rhodey had ben suitably impressed at the aerodynamic abilities of the Spider-Kid but was stunned when he said things that revealed his age (calling The Empire Strikes Back “that really old movie” kind of cemented the fact that he was young). After Rhodey had lost his legs, he spent time in the medbay recuperating.

One day during his recuperation, Tony had entered his room with a small box in his hands.

“Hey Platypus,” Tony said softly. He had been subdued since Germany but had been even more so since Siberia (and if Rhodey had had the use of legs you could be damn sure that Cap would not have been walking away from that – its one thing to leave an enemy wounded in a place like Siberia but its another, entirely more horrific thing, to leave someone you once called a friend). The other man hardly ever smiled anymore, and no one could pull him out of his depression. Even Pepper was struggling.

“Hey Tones. What have you got there?” Rhodey asked as he placed the book he had been reading down on the table beside his bed.

“It’s a present for you from the Spider-Kid,” Tony replied and the soft smile on his face made Rhodey smile too. Rhodey took the box and pulled the card off.

_Dear Colonel Rhodes,_

_I hope you are feeling better soon. It was an honour to fight by your side in Germany._

_Enjoy the gift – the instructions are inside too._

_Get Well Soon_

_Spider-Man_ _😊_

Rhodey opened the box and lifted what looked to be a small spider shaped robot out. He placed the little spider on his lap and pulled out the little hand-written instruction manual.

_This is SPY-D. He is a personal drone. He can be used to send messages, and fetch people or items. Scan the QR code with your phone for the app that helps control SPY-D._

“Spider-Man made me a drone,” Rhodey said reverently as he looked down at the drone. Tony let out a laugh and Rhodey smiled. “Hand me my phone Tones. I want to see what this little guy can do.”

For the rest of the afternoon, Rhodey and Tony played around with SPY-D and when Pepper came to check on them, she could only laugh at the scene in front of her. Surrounding Rhodey and Tony were pillows, blankets, bottles of drink, food, books, and a host of other items that SPY-D had been sent to retrieve.

Four months after Germany, Rhodey next heard about the Spider Kid during one of the many meetings with Secretary Ross and the Accords committee. It was the first time (surprisingly) that he and Pepper had had to pin Tony to his seat.

“Stark, there is nothing about the Accords that needs to be changed,” Ross hissed out again and Tony glared at the man. “Unless you suggest adding a clause to allow for the detainment of mutant freaks like that Spider freak then this meeting is over.”

Tony was halfway out of his seat before Pepper or Rhodey could respond. They managed to pull him back, but all the Accords board had backed away at the fury on Tony’s face.

“How dare you?” Tony’s voice was low and dark, the sound sending a shiver up everyone’s spine. Ross actually looked afraid at the dark gleam in Tony’s eye. “HOW DARE YOU?”

“Stark,” Ross tried to interrupt but Tony held up a hand to silence him.

“Don’t. There is no digging yourself out of this hole,” Tony hissed and Rhodey tightened his grip on his best friend’s arm. “That “Spider freak” as you so eloquently called him is more of a hero than any of the Avengers combined. Sure, he doesn’t handle the world crisis level events, but he helps the little people. In the short time he has been active, he has done more good for New York than you’ve done for the entire fucking country! New York’s rates of dangerous crimes have decreased since Spider-Man became active. The only reason he is labelled a vigilante is because news organisations like that shitshow The Daily Bugle have labelled him so.”

“Can you show us examples Mr Stark? We have not heard of this Spider-Man in Wakanda,” Nakia, T’Challa’s chosen advocate, asked and Tony nodded. He typed a few things onto his tablet and soon videos of Spider-Man were being projected onto the screen behind Ross.

The committee watched as Spider-Man rescued cats out trees (that had the delegates for Spain, France, Germany, and Japan cooing slightly), stopped convenience store robberies and the like. The most telling videos however were the ones where Spider-Man saved a bus full of children from crashing and when he helped the FDNY evacuate an apartment building during a large-scale fire.

“It seems that this Spider-Man is not causing harm. If anything, these Accords will hinder his work,” the delegate for England said. “Provided he continues to work on the small scale.”

“Ross, you call him a mutant freak again and I will end you. Not just your career but you as well,” Tony hissed out before Pepper could stop him. For the rest of that particular meeting, Ross kept his mouth shut. That was one of the last meetings Secretary Ross attended as the US Accords liaison, Pepper and Tony succeeding in convincing President Ellis to remove him from the position.

The next time Spider-Man was brought up was when Happy advised Rhodey and Pepper of his plan to get Tony out of his depressive funk. While supportive, Rhodey was still hesitant. He had been friends with Tony since college and he knew that Tony didn’t respond well to children or teenagers. So, colour Rhodey surprised when Tony joined him for lunch on the day Happy had planned to implement his plan. During their lunch, Tony had spoken only of the kid and Rhodey was excited to see an almost immediate change in his friend. He was even more surprised when Tony decided to clean himself and his lab up for the kid’s arrival.

When he’d first met Peter out of the suit, Rhodey was stunned. This kid looked like a wide-eyed puppy. He certainly didn’t look like he could lift an airplane boarding tunnel but looks could be deceiving. Tony was working closely with the boy on what looked to be a robot of some sort but what surprised Rhodey most was the smile on Tony’s face.

When Peter referred to him as “Lieutenant Colonel Mr War Machine Rhodes Sir” Rhodey couldn’t help but choke. No one ever used all his titles. It was ridiculous. Then to top it off, Peter ended up calling him Mr Rhodey and he knew Tony would never let him live it down. Rhodey had felt bad about interrupting their lab time but Tony needed food and the kid probably had homework or something he had to do.

Over dinner, Tony had been animated in his discussion about what he and Peter had been doing and Pepper and Rhodey shared conspiratorial glances in between bites of food.

The next time Rhodey saw Peter was a week and a half after their initial introduction. Rhodey had walked into Tony’s lab in search of his friend but found only the teenager. Peter was typing something onto a STARKPad that appeared to be connected to some kind of robot.

“Hey Kid,” Rhodey said as he entered, and Peter turned sharply.

“Hi Mr Rhodey,” Peter replied and Rhodey laughed softly. “Mr Stark isn’t here. Well, obviously. Um, Miss Pepper called him up to sign some things. But he should be back soon.”

“Not a problem. Do you mind if I wait here for him?” Rhodey asked and Peter shook his head furiously.

“Not at all. Would you like a smoothie?” Peter asked and at the word, DUM-E let out an excited chirp. Before Rhodey could reply, DUM-E zoomed towards him with a tray in his claw. On the tray were three different smoothies, and Rhodey reluctantly took the pinkish coloured one. He watched as the teen took the purple coloured one and patted the bot on the claw.

“I’ve been warned about these. Tony says never to drink anything DUM-E gives me,” Rhodey said hesitantly but when he looked up, Peter was sipping at his own drink with a smile on his face. Rhodey closed his eyes and took a mouthful. He was pleasantly surprised. “OK, why has Tones been lying to me?”

“Oh, he hasn’t Sir,” Peter said with a giggle. “The first smoothie DUM-E made me was made of Kale and Motor Oil. It was absolutely awful! I could see that he was trying though so I offered to teach him how to make them one day. Tony left me here alone one afternoon last week and so I decided it was time to teach DUM-E how to not poison us. He’s worked so hard.”

Peter was affectionately patting DUM-E on the arm and the bot was letting out chirps and beeps of contentment.

“Well I am definitely coming back for smoothies again,” Rhodey said fondly and Peter laughed.

“Hear that bud?” Peter said as he rubbed DUM-E like a puppy. “Mr Lieutenant Colonel War Machine Rhodes is going to come back and drink more smoothies. Good job buddy!”

“You poisoning my friends Kid?” Tony’s voice was fond as he entered the room and both Peter and Rhodey turned to face him. “I leave for 5 minutes and you’re about to kill my best friend. Betrayal.”

“Mr Stark, I would never hurt Mr Rhodey,” Peter said as he rolled his eyes. DUM-E picked up the tray again and rolled over to his creator. “Try one. Its really good.”

“Just so you know, everything goes to Pepper if I die,” Tony said as he hesitantly took the smoothie. Rhodey had to smirk at the excited chirps from DUM-E and the excited nods from Peter. Tony took a sip and Rhodey’s laughter burst forth as Tony’s eyes widened in surprise. “Well damn. Did you teach him this?”

When Peter nodded hesitantly, Tony approached him and wrapped an arm around the kid’s shoulder. You could have knocked Rhodey over with a feather – his best friend who never showed affection was openly hugging someone besides him or Pepper.

“How’s the coding going?” Tony asked, forgetting Rhodey was in the room but the other man didn’t mind.

“Good Mr Stark. I’m almost done, I think. I just need you to check it before I activate it,” Peter replied, and Tony nodded.

“Well kid, how about while Tony looks over your code, you and I go and grab some burgers?” Rhodey said suddenly and both Tony and Peter turned to him. “I mean, I’m starving, and I know you two must be.”

“Is that alright Mr Stark?” Peter asked and Tony smiled at the boy. He nodded and Peter turned back to Rhodey. “I’d like that Mr Rhodey.”

Rhodey led the teen out of the lab and down to his car. When they were settled, Rhodey drove out of the car park and headed towards the diner he and Tony both enjoyed.

They ordered enough food to feed a small army and sat down in a booth while they waited.

“So, what made you become a superhero kid?” Rhodey asked as they waited for their food. Peter took a sip of the milkshake Rhodey had gotten him and mulled over his answer.

“I got my powers a year ago,” Peter started to explain. “Field trip mishap. Anyway, I tried to ignore everything. I tried to stay normal and pretend everything was ok. But then, then my Uncle Ben and I were out at the store and there was a robbery.”

“You stepped in?” Rhodey asked but Peter shook his head.

“Uncle Ben did,” Peter replied softly. Rhodey tensed up because he imagined he knew where this story was going. “He was a police officer. He stepped up and got shot. I just watched it all happen.”

Rhodey moved so he was now seated beside the kid and pulled him into a side hug. Peter cuddled into his side and Rhodey rested his hand on the teen’s head.

“He always used to say to me “with great power comes great responsibility”. After he died, I couldn’t just ignore my powers. So now I use them to help people,” Peter finished. He wiped his tears on the sleeves of his hoodie and started blushing furiously. “I’m so sorry Mr Rhodey. I can’t believe I just cried on you! Who does that?”

“It’s ok Pete,” Rhodey said with a smile. Peter looked up at him at the nickname and smiled back. “Your uncle would be so proud of you.”

“Thanks,” Peter replied.

“Alright, it’s getting too mushy here,” Rhodey said, attempting to lighten the atmosphere. “Do you want to hear some embarrassing stories about Tony?”

Peter listened intently as Rhodey launched into as many embarrassing stories as he could remember from his and Tony’s college days. He had just finished telling the story about the Fed-Ex man calling Tony “Mr Stank” when their order was ready. Peter and Rhodey carried the three large bags of takeout back to the car and started their journey back to the Tower.

“Oh, I never thanked you,” Rhodey said and Peter looked up at him in confusion. “For SPY-D. That little drone has been a godsend.”

“I’m glad you like him,” Peter said with an embarrassed flush. “When Happy told me that you had been paralysed, I wanted to send you something. But since I didn’t really know you, I had no idea what to get you. I spent ages researching paralysis and the main thing other people with paralysis mentioned on the sites I visited was how difficult it can be to sometimes retrieve items, especially if they are alone in a room or house. I figured I could make a drone to help you out.”

“Well kid he has been great. At first Tony and I used him to get us lunch but now I use him at the base. He delivers messages for me and everything,” Rhodey said and Peter smiled proudly. “Keep up that kind of work and I might have to start headhunting you for the military.”

When they arrived back at the Tower, Peter and Rhodey walked into the lab and Peter let out a squeal. Tony had obviously finished coding BB-8 because the little spherical droid came barrelling over to him.

“Hi buddy!” Peter said. He dropped to his knees and rubbed the droid’s belly. The droid beeped at him and Peter looked up at Tony with a smile bright enough to light a building. “Mr Stark! He looks awesome!”

“All your work kid. Your coding was spot on,” Tony replied as he picked up the abandoned bag of burgers from the floor beside Peter. “He’s just been rolling around waiting for you to come back.”

“This is so cool!” Peter said. He pulled out his phone and started videoing the droid as he rolled around Peter. The teen was laughing excitedly and Rhodey noticed the fond look on Tony’s face.

“So, I thought you should know, I offered the kid a job with the military,” Rhodey teased as he pulled a burger from one of the bags. Tony’s head shot up and he glared at his friend.

“No! Back off Platypus. Underoos is mine,” Tony said, only half teasing. He then turned to where Peter was taking selfies with the bot. “Underoos, no working for the military, you hear me? You are my intern. Don’t let Rhodey steal you away with delusions of grandeur.”

“Why would I ever leave here Mr Stark?” Peter said absentmindedly as he and BB-8 made their way over to the two adults. “I mean, the offer to work for the military was great and all, but there’s nowhere I’d rather be than Stark Tower. Sorry Mr Rhodey.”

As Rhodey teased and pleaded with Peter, Tony pressed a few buttons on his STARKPad. The board appeared again and Tony placed a checkmark against Rhodey’s name.

Rhodey became the 3rd Avenger to fall to The Peter Factor.


	4. Happy Hogan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it's been brought to my attention that the chapters are following the order of the tags for this story. Now that was never my intention, it started as mere coincidence. However now it's starting to make sense haha.  
> This story is flowing differently now to how it started but I do love the changes that have happened. 
> 
> So at this stage, yes the chapters will follow the tags. Unless they don't fit into the flow of the story then they will change slightly. 
> 
> But for now, please enjoy Happy Hogan falling victim to The Peter Factor

20 years ago, Happy was wrapping up a successful boxing career. He fought his last fight (which he won) and was having a celebratory drink at the bar when he’d been approached by this 20 something year old rich kid. Said kid had offered him a job as a personal bodyguard and Happy had accepted (only after Tony had picked up his drink tab for the night). Now, 20 years on, that rich kid had become one of his best friends and Happy had risen through the ranks to become Head of Security and Head Asset Manager at Stark Industries. 

If you had told Happy 20 years ago that the rich kid he was working for would one day become a responsible businessman, fiancé (eventually), and father, Happy would have laughed in your face. The Tony he knew back then was lucky to make it through a week (and that was only because of people like Pepper Potts, Happy and Edwin Jarvis). But this Tony was different. This Tony refused to have any alcohol in the house just in case his Spider-Kid needed him. This Tony made sure to eat meals at appropriate times and even attempted to set a personal bedtime just so he could be a better role model for the teenager that looked up for him. Happy had a lot to thank Peter Parker for (but he’d NEVER tell the kid that – he had a reputation to maintain). 

When Happy had first met Peter, he’ll admit he found the wide-eyed optimism irritating but that came from having seen the worst in people through his work. As Tony’s bodyguard, Happy had watched people enter Tony’s circle and then betray him. He didn’t want this kid to be the next person to hurt his friend (though if it happened, it would have been completely unintentional as Peter wouldn’t harm a fly). When Tony had initially passed the teenage superhero off to Happy, Happy had glared at the man. He had better things to do than listen to voicemails from a kid about how an old lady had bought him a churro. 

But Happy would never tell anyone that when his days got tough, listening to those voicemails made him smile and reminded him that there were still good people in the world. That wide-eyed optimism and innocence Peter exuded was refreshing in the jaded world that Happy and Tony lived in. When Happy noticed the toll the Accords and Avengers crap was taking on his friend, he knew that Peter would be the answer. Within 48 hours, Happy could see a positive change in Tony and it was all thanks to Peter. 

Happy was right now waiting outside Midtown School of Science and Technology. Peter was due to finish school at 2:45 and Happy would then drive him to the Tower for his internship. Happy may grumble about having to drive to Midtown to pick the kid up but he never actually minded, he just liked to play with Tony and Peter. Plus, if Happy was the one picking him up, it would ensure that none of the Rogue Avengers would accidentally bump into Peter. Until they redeemed themselves, Happy wouldn’t trust those _people_ as far as he could throw them without powers. Those supposed ‘friends’ had hurt his best friend and that never sat well with Happy. Like hell would he let them meet his friend’s kid until both Tony and Peter were ready, and if they were never ready then Happy would stand by that decision. 

The bell rang and Happy watched as teenagers flooded out of the building. He watched as groups of them headed for buses while others climbed into ridiculously expensive cars. Happy knew that this school was very exclusive and to him that just proved how smart Peter was. He may be here on a scholarship but that just raised Peter in his esteem – Peter earnt his spot here simply with his intelligence. 

Ten minutes passed and Peter still hadn’t emerged from the school. He knew the boy didn’t have detention because he usually text Happy if he had detention on lab days, so he knew that wasn’t why Peter was late. He hadn’t come out in the swarm of teens that had already left so Happy knew that Peter hadn’t forgotten. Happy pushed himself off the car and after locking it, made his way to the doors. He pushed them open and went in search of the Spider-Kid. 

He was turning a corner when Peter’s friend crashed into him. 

“Mr Happy,” Ned said and Happy could tell he was out of breath. He looked terrified which put Happy on edge. 

“Where’s Peter?” Happy demanded and Ned pointed over his shoulder towards the locker room. “What’s happening?”

“Some seniors have him cornered. I was looking for a teacher,” Ned said quickly and that’s all Happy needed to hear. He raced into the locker room and slammed the doors open. He could hear a shower running and voices, so he followed the sound. He let out a growl at what he saw. 

5 seniors had formed a semi-circle around Peter while two others held him. They were holding the kid, fully clothed, under the shower while one of them punched him in the stomach. 

“Get the fuck off that kid,” Happy growled savagely and the boys all turned sharply, the two holding Peter dropped him. Happy approached and watched as the boys began to posture. 

“What are you gunna do about it old man?” the leader of the group sneered and Happy smirked. The kid looked ready to throw a punch when one of the lackeys grabbed his arm. 

“Dude! Don’t you know who that is?” the kid said and Happy continued smirking. “Dude, that’s Happy Hogan. Not only is he Tony Stark’s bodyguard but he was 27-0 in his boxing career.”

“That’s right kid. And don’t think I’ve forgotten those skills,” Happy hissed out. The 7 teens now looked appropriately afraid. “Now, you’re gunna turn the shower off and back the fuck away.”

The shower shut off and the leader attempted to make a run for it but Happy grabbed him by the shirt. 

“Oh no. You lot aren’t going anywhere,” Happy hissed out. He indicated to one of the smaller boys. “You, get Peter some clothes. NOW. The rest of you, sit your asses down on that bench and don’t even think of moving.” 

The group, shaking in fear, did as they were told, and the kid handed Peter a pair of trackpants and a shirt. Happy hadn’t let go of the leader and he wasn’t planning on it. 

“Pete, get changed bud. I’ll be right here,” Happy said comfortingly and Peter nodded. Once Peter had ducked into a stall, Happy turned back to the seniors. “Here’s what’s going to happen. The 9 of us will be making a little trip down to the Principal’s office. Try and run and I will hunt you down. When we get there, you lot are going to tell him just what you’ve done to Peter. If I think you’re lying or omitting details, I will step in and you don’t want that to happen. Do you understand me?” 

“Yes Mr Hogan,” six of the boys chanted but the leader scoffed. 

“Morita won’t do shit to us,” the leader hissed out. “And when you let us go, I’m going to teach Parker a lesson about what happens if you tattle.” 

“FRI, did you get that?” Happy said with another smirk and the boy frowned. 

“I certainly did Mr Hogan,” FRIDAY’s voice echoed from Happy’s phone and Happy pulled the phone out. 

“Thank you for admitting that. Now that’s all I need to get your ass expelled,” Happy said and the lead kid paled. “Don’t even try and talk your way out of it.”

Peter returned from the stall holding his soaked clothes. Happy pulled the kid into a side hug and turned to the group. 

“Walk. NOW!” Happy ordered and the teens jumped to their feet. Happy kept one hand on the lead kid’s shirt as they walked and the other was around Peter. Ned was waiting for them outside the locker room and he threw his jacket over the slightly shivering Peter. The group walked down to the office and the secretary looked up in confusion. “I need to see the Principal, now please.” 

The woman jumped to her feet and knocked on Morita’s door. The door opened and Principal Morita emerged looking confused. 

“What’s going on here?” He asked as he looked over the sheepish and terrified looking group to the soaking wet Peter. He stepped to the side and the large group walked into his office. “Can I help you sir?” 

“My name is Happy Hogan,” Happy explained as he finally let the lead kid go but stood in his path (just in case he tried to make a break for it). “I work for Tony Stark. I’m sure you know that Peter here has an internship with Mr Stark and as a part of that, I come and pick him up from school on internship days.”

“Yes, we have been informed,” Principal Morita said and Happy nodded. 

“Today, Peter was late coming out to the car, so I came in to find him,” Happy continued. The kid was still trembling so Happy slipped off his jacket and threw it around the kid as well. “I found him in the locker room surrounded by these boys. I believe they will tell you the rest.” 

Happy listened as the group explained what had happened and while this was happening, he pulled Peter to him again. The boy had stopped physically trembling but Happy could see that he was still cold. 

“Principal Morita, my father will be wondering where I am,” the lead kid said with a smirk and Happy watched as the principal attempted not to roll his eyes. “I am sure this can all be forgiven. We will apologise to Parker.” 

“Don’t even think about it,” Happy growled and the kid tensed. Happy pulled out his phone and opened it up. “Principal Morita, I’m sure you’re aware about New York’s One-Party Consent wire-tapping law. Well I would like to provide evidence that I think indicates that by letting this go, Peter will be in danger.” 

Happy played the recording from the locker room and the kid paled even more. Principal Morita nodded in understanding and turned to the boys. 

“This is not the first time I have had you boys in front of me,” Principal Morita said and while the lead kid attempted to look cool, the other 6 bowed their heads. “Given the circumstances, the general response here would be expulsion.” 

“Sir,” Peter interjected and Happy groaned softly. Damn this kid and his self-sacrifical behaviour. He’d give Tony a run for his money. “Please don’t expel all of them.”

“Why should I not Mr Parker? They have admitted to bullying you, quite significantly I might add,” Principal Morita said, and the group of teens turned to face Peter. 

“Sir, Daniel is the only one who shoved me under the water and punched me,” Peter admitted. “The others were just doing what he said. They shouldn’t be expelled for following the orders of an idiot.” 

“HEY!” Daniel cried and Happy stepped in front of Peter. The kid backed down quickly and dropped into one of the chairs in the room. 

“You lot will have a lot to thank Mr Parker for,” Principal Morita said after a moment. “The 6 of you won’t be expelled. You will however be suspended for 21 school days, which is the maximum suspension time I can give without expelling you. You will also be expected to write detailed apology letters to Mr Parker. The 6 of you will also be removed from any teams or clubs you are part of, and you will all be barred from senior field trips as further punishment. Thank your lucky stars Mr Parker is a kind young man. I will be calling all your parents now. Wait outside for them to arrive.” 

The 6 boys walked out of the room, heads bowed and Happy nodded at the punishment. Principal Morita asked his secretary to call the boys’ parents before turning to Daniel. 

“You however Mr Brewer, no matter what Mr Parker says, you will be expelled,” Morita said. The kid attempted to protest but Morita held up his hand. “I don’t want to hear any excuses. You have physically assaulted a fellow student. Mr Parker is well within his rights to ask me to call the police and have you charged.”

“No sir, I don’t want that,” Peter said softly and Happy squeezed the boy’s shoulders. 

“I understand Mr Parker,” Morita said kindly. He then turned back to the infuriated Daniel. “This will be going on your permanent record and I will be ensuring that whatever school you end your senior year at will know of what happened here. You will stay in here while I call your parents. Mr Hogan, would you please forward me that recording.” 

Principal Morita gave Happy his email and the recording was instantly sent to the other man. 

“Is Peter still required to be here? I need to get in contact with Mr Stark and I need to get him home and dry,” Happy commented. 

“No, he is free to go. I am sorry that this happened Mr Parker,” Principal Morita said, and Peter nodded. Happy led both Peter and Ned out of the office, past the 6 boys sitting by the secretary’s desk and out to the car. “Ned, would you like a lift too You’ve probably missed your bus by now.” 

“Yes please Mr Happy,” Ned replied. Happy unlocked the car and while Ned climbed in, Peter paused before he followed his friend. 

“Peter?” Happy asked but the only response he got was an armful of Spider-Kid. “I got you bud.” 

“Thank you Happy,” Peter murmured into Happy’s shirt and the man smiled. “I know I’ve probably wasted most of my lab time, but could we please go to the Tower. I just want to tell Tony myself what happened and why we are so late.” 

“Sure can bud,” Happy replied. He didn’t let go of the kid until Peter pulled away. “But first, we need food.” 

Peter and Happy climbed into the car and after dropping Ned home, Happy drove through McDonald’s drive thru. Just as they were leaving the restaurant, cheeseburgers, Big Macs, fries, and nuggets on board, Happy’s phone rang. 

_ “Have you kidnapped my intern Hogan?”  _ Tony’s voice was teasing as it came through the car speakers. Both Happy and Peter rolled their eyes at Tony’s tone. 

“Nah. Just showing him something more fun than your boring lab,” Happy teased back with a wink in the rear-view mirror to Peter. “We dropped Ned home and grabbed food. We are about 10 minutes out.”

_ “Well hurry up. There is science to be done and BB-8 is missing his master,”  _ Tony said before he hung up the phone. 

“Thanks for not telling him Happy,” Peter murmured and Happy smiled at the kid. 

“If it happens again and you don’t tell me, I will tell him,” Happy warned. “For now though, I’ll keep this secret kid. As long as you aren’t hurt.” 

“Once I have these burgers in me, I’ll be fine,” Peter replied and Happy nodded. 

When they eventually arrived back at the Tower, Happy climbed out of the car and opened the door for Peter. As they entered the elevator, Peter placed the drinks they’d ordered on the floor. Before Happy could ask what was wrong, Peter wrapped his arms around Happy’s middle again. 

“Alright, enough with the mushy crap kid. I’ve got a reputation to maintain,” Happy teased after a minute. Peter released him from the hug and picked the drinks back up. 

“What reputation?” Peter said with a raised eyebrow and Happy laughed. 

Unbeknownst to the pair of then, Tony was watching the scene from his lab. He didn’t know what had happened to make Peter so cuddly with Tony’s friend but when he looked at Happy’s face, Tony pulled up the chart and marked another Avenger fallen to The Peter Factor. 

The Peter Factor – 4

Avengers - 0


	5. Natasha

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter meets his future Mama Spider and Nat feels her normally cold heart melt for the boy with the doe-like brown eyes and curly hair.

None of the Avengers were due to meet Peter Parker (not if Tony and Pepper had their way). Just because they lived in the Tower didn’t mean that Tony had to invite them back into his life. He was cordial with them whenever there were meetings or if he met them in the gym but beyond that, it was highly unlikely that they would ever return to the family like atmosphere that used to surround the Tower.

Peter spent most of his time at the Tower in the labs, Pepper’s office, or on Tony’s private floor. The only Avenger with access to that floor was Bruce but as yet, the other man hadn’t used those privileges. He had been in Norway helping the Asgardians settle into their new surroundings and hadn’t yet returned to New York.

Natasha was one of the only returning Avengers who Tony was on speaking terms with. The night she had cornered him was one that stuck out in both their minds. She had apologised profusely for what happened in Berlin and what happened after. She was just as mad as Tony that Steve had kept the secret about Howard and Maria’s deaths from him. Tony had eventually forgiven her for everything and they were slowly getting their friendship back on track. But that didn’t mean Nat wanted to push it. She knew that she had betrayed him and while Tony had forgiven her, that did mean his Protection Squad had.

So, none of the team went near Tony and Pepper’s private floor, thus meaning the secret of Peter Parker was safe for a while longer. Nat was technically the first non IronFamily Avenger to meet Peter and the introduction had been just as sweet and as natural as anyone could ask for.

Nat awoke with an aborted scream. She could never remember her nightmares and while this one was no different, the outcome was always the same. The blankets on her body became stifling so she violently kicked them off. Knowing that sleep would now evade her, Nat climbed out of bed and slid her feet into her slippers. She walked out of her room and slowly made her way down to the communal kitchen. She noticed that the light was on, but she just assumed it was one of the other Avengers. She was stunned however to find a teenage boy hunched over the kitchen bench. 

Nat approached the boy silently and heard him mumbling to himself. It sounded like he was alternating between English and Spanish. Nat was shocked when the boy looked up and made eye contact with her. She had been absolutely certain she hadn’t made a sound. Rather than being startled, the boy simply looked Nat up and down before returning to the book in front of him. 

The Russian spy looked at the boy in confusion. He couldn’t be more than 14 or 15 years old so what the hell was he doing in the Avengers’ communal kitchen? He certainly didn’t belong to Clint because her best friend would have told her a) about his kids visiting and b) about a kid he and Laura had adopted. None of the other Avengers were parents so that ruled any of them out. The kid obviously wasn’t a hostile because FRIDAY hadn’t sounded any alarms. Keeping her senses attuned to the stranger, she set about boiling some water to fix herself a cup of tea. 

The Black Widow turned sharply as she heard a loud ‘thump’ and noticed that the boy had dropped his head heavily onto the book he had been reading. Not knowing what to do, Natasha turned back to the kettle as it finished boiling and poured the hot water over the loose-leaf tea in the teapot she had found. She only turned around again when she heard soft sniffles emerging from the boy. He was crying but trying hard to hide it. Nat felt something inside her break as the boy cried. Maternal feelings rose to the surface and Nat was loathed to shake them away. She poured two cups of tea and sat down close to the boy. The boy looked up at Nat with large, watery eyes and Nat vowed then and there that she would never let anything harm this kid, no matter who he was.

“Alright,” Nat said softly as she handed the boy his cup of tea. “Let’s destroy whatever it is that is making you cry.” 

He let out a soft laugh and allowed Nat to pull his Spanish work to her. The spy read over the work and gave the teen a few hints or corrections. The kid was damn smart, so he hadn’t needed much help. 

“I’m Peter,” the boy said quietly as he finally closed his Spanish book. “Thanks for your help Miss Romanoff.” 

“Call me Nat маленький (little one),” Nat replied as she brushed some of Peter’s curls out of his face. The boy crinkled his nose at the term even though he had no idea what it meant. 

“I should move onto my chemistry work,” Peter said softly as he cast a look back at the pile of books on the counter. 

“No. You should sleep,” Nat replied firmly, adopting a tone that she had learnt from Laura. “The work will still be there tomorrow. It’s Saturday so you have plenty of time to finish it.”

The boy attempted to protest but Nat just gave him a look she knew could frighten even the toughest of men. Peter sighed but eventually nodded and Nat smiled triumphantly. She put their empty cups into the sink and walked back over to where Peter was now standing by the bench. Peter took her outstretched hand and Nat began to lead him towards the bedrooms. She placed herself in front of Peter protectively when the elevator doors opened but she relaxed when a slightly panicked, yet still sleepy, Tony Stark stumbled out. 

“FRI baby, tell Pep that I’ve found the kid,” Tony said to the ceiling before walking over to the pair. “Pete, I could have sworn I put you to bed hours ago. Why am I now finding you down here holding hands with a super spy?” 

As Peter began to ramble, Nat could only smile. While doing his homework, Peter had spoken very little but now, he couldn’t seem to stop himself. Peter’s voice washed over her, and Nat smiled as she closed her eyes. His voice was familiar, but she couldn’t quite work out where she’d heard it before. After a minute, her eyes snapped open sharply and she locked her gaze onto Stark and Peter. 

“You’re Spider-Man,” Nat said with finality. Peter stopped rambling and looked up at Tony. The billionaire shrugged and Peter nodded at Nat. “It’s still bedtime. Superheroes need sleep too.” 

Peter laughed and surprised both Tony and Natasha by walking back over to the Black Widow and wrapping his arms around her. Nat rested one hand on Peter’s back and the other she curled into his hair. 

“Goodnight _ребенок паук_ (baby spider),” Nat said softly as she pressed a kiss to Peter’s head. “Sweet dreams.” 

Peter kept the hug going for a few more seconds before pulling away and walking towards the elevator. Tony ruffled his hair as Peter passed and the teen half-heartedly swiped at his mentor’s hand. 

Once the elevator doors closed, Nat returned to her room. She crawled back under the covers once more and this time, her dreams were filled with baby spiders. 

The next morning, Nat woke up before everyone else and when she entered the kitchen, she realised that all of Peter’s schoolwork was still sitting on the table. She knew she didn’t have long before Steve woke up for his run, so she quickly packed all the work back into Peter’s school bag. She had just hidden the bag under the sink when Steve entered the kitchen.

“Morning Nat,” Steve said, and Nat nodded at the soldier. “Sleep well?”

“I did actually. First time for everything,” Nat replied, and Steve nodded. Nat set about making herself a cup of coffee when she realised Steve hadn’t left yet. She turned to him as the machine started and raised an eyebrow. “What’s wrong with you?”

“I just,” Steve started but he stopped. Nat continued staring at him and Steve sighed. “Have you spoken with Tony?”

“Not for a few days. Why?” Nat asked and Steve sighed again. “Steve, you know why he won’t see you.”

“I know. But I want to apologise,” Steve said almost pathetically, and Nat rolled her eyes.

“Steve, this goes beyond a simple apology,” Nat said firmly and when Steve attempted to interrupt, she held up a hand to silence him. “Steve, you betrayed Tony’s trust and you know how hard it is for Tony to give his trust to anyone. You broke something in him. It’s going to take more than an apology to repair that relationship. And you need to be prepared.”

“For what?” Steve asked and Nat sighed.

“For the fact that your relationship with Tony may be beyond repair,” Nat said, and she felt no pleasure in watching Steve’s face fall. “Be respectful of the fact he is letting you live here again. Respect that he doesn’t want to see you. Don’t try and work your way around FRIDAY or anything. Don’t corner him at the end of meetings. This isn’t something that can be fixed overnight.”

“I know,” Steve said dejectedly. “I’m going for my run.”

The super soldier left the kitchen and Nat sighed. She knew where Steve was coming from but that wouldn’t help.

Nat poured herself a cup of coffee and then remembered the bag under the sink. She pulled it out, slung it over her shoulder and walked over to the elevator.

“FRIDAY, could you please ask Tony if I can come up. I need to return Peter’s bag. Or does he want me to just send the bag up in the elevator?” Nat asked as the doors opened.

“Boss says you are fine to come up Spy-Lady,” FRIDAY said, and Nat rolled her eyes at the nickname. The elevator doors closed once Nat was inside and the elevator travelled up the few floors to the penthouse. When she arrived, Nat could smell bacon, eggs, and pancakes cooking. She put Peter’s backpack on the lounge and followed her nose into the kitchen.

Tony was sitting at the table flicking through a newspaper while Pepper and Peter worked at the stove. Nat walked further into the room and Tony looked up from the paper with a grin.

“Morning Nat,” Tony said, and Peter turned from the stove. He waved at Nat before returning to his cooking.

“Morning. Thanks for letting me up. I just wanted to drop the _ребенок паук’s_ school bag up before anyone noticed it. I’ll go now,” Nat said but before she could move, Peter had bolted to her side.

“Please stay for breakfast Ms Black Widow Natasha ma’am,” Peter said, and Nat raised an eyebrow at the name. “Miss Pepper and I made tonnes of food.”

“FRIDAY make Nat’s name in my phone “Ms Black Widow Natasha ma’am” please Baby Girl,” Tony teased, and Nat flipped him off. She then turned back to Peter with a smile.

“Of course, ребенок паук. I’d love to stay for breakfast,” Nat replied, and she allowed Peter to pull her into one of the chairs. Soon he and Pepper had served up the food and the small group dug in with gusto. Nat watched Tony and Peter interact as they ate, and she could only smile at how carefree her friend was.

Nat continued to eat Saturday morning breakfast with Tony, Pepper, and Peter for a few weeks and in that time, she found herself becoming more and more attached to the baby spider.

Three weeks after their initial meeting, the Avengers were all called into a meeting with Fury. He had a mission for them but not all of them would be required to go. Unfortunately, Tony was one of those required to go.

“I can’t go Nat,” Tony said as they left the conference room. When Nat raised an eyebrow, he sighed. “Pete’s aunt has gone away for the weekend for a work conference and he’s staying with me. But Pepper is in Hong Kong meeting with the SI board there. I can’t leave the kid alone for the weekend. I promised him we’d work on his suit this weekend.”

“Tony, you are needed on this mission,” Nat said softly. “I can stay with Peter. I’m not needed for once, so I’d be happy to watch the _ребенок паук.”_

Tony nodded at the spy and surprised them both by pulling the woman into a hug. They broke apart and Tony headed up to the penthouse to get his things ready, while Nat went down to the gym.

One hour later, the team, minus Bucky, Nat, and Clint were getting ready to board the Quinjet. Sam, Rhodey and Steve were already on board, but Tony was still standing with Nat.

“Happy will drop him off at about 3:30. I called Pete at lunchtime to explain everything and he is really excited. He’s not allergic to anything, that we know of, but Helen will be in the Tower all weekend if you need anything,” Tony said, and Nat watched him with a fond smile. “He has a curfew of 2 am on Fridays and Saturdays for his Spider-Man gig so if he isn’t back by then, make sure to punish him.”

“TONY!” Nat called when it seemed like the man was building up speed. “You’ll be back by lunchtime on Sunday, dinner time at the latest. The _ребенок паук_ and I will be fine. We are in YOUR tower and both FRIDAY and Happy are on hand. Stop stressing and focus on the mission.”

Tony nodded and after giving Nat one final hug, he walked over to the jet and climbed on board. The jet took off and Nat returned to the Avengers floor once they were gone.

That afternoon, Nat was waiting for Peter on Tony’s floor (she wasn’t nervous thank you very much). She heard the elevator arrive and couldn’t stop the smile from crossing her face as Peter bounded out of the elevator.

“Hi Ms Nat,” Peter had finally done away with the long name but she just couldn’t shake him out of his use of “Ms” but if that’s what it took for Peter to call her Nat then so be it.

“Hi _ребенок паук._ How was school?” Nat asked as Peter kicked his shoes off and joined her on the lounge.

Peter launched into a detailed description of his day and Nat listened on intently. While this was happening FRIDAY, unbeknownst to anyone, placed another checkmark on the Boss’ board.

When Nat tucked Peter into bed that night (he had been out patrolling but Nat waited up for him), she smoothed the curls back from his face. As the boy drifted off to sleep, Nat swore to any and all listening Gods that she would protect this boy with her life. If anyone messed with him, they would see why she was one of the most feared assassins the Red Room had ever produced.

Peter Factor - 5

Avengers - 0


	6. Clint

Before Clint met Peter, Cooper, Lila, and Nate met Peter. It hadn’t even been intentional. Clint had been spending the day with the kids while Laura and Nat had a girls’ day. Clint decided to take the kids to The American Museum of Natural History for the morning before taking them into Central Park for the afternoon. The group of four were exploring the museum when Nate had seen something that caught his eye. 

The three-year-old had noticed a sign for the planetarium and he knew that he wanted to see the stars, so he simply followed the signs. When he arrived, he stared in awe at all the things around him. Everything was just so pretty. He turned to tell ‘Toop’ all about it but then he remembered, he’d left everyone else behind. Nate then realised just how alone he was and started crying. 

“Hey buddy,” a voice came from above him and Nate looked up. A boy, maybe about ‘Toop’s’ age was kneeling in front of him. he had a gentle smile on his face as he looked at the boy. “Why are you so upset?” 

“Wost dada. And bwuda and sissy,” Nate sobbed out and the boy frowned. The teen put a hand on Nate’s shoulder and Nate just threw himself at the teen. The boy wrapped his arms around the kid and picked him up, shushing him as he went. “Hep me find em?” 

“Of course, little man,” the boy said. “What’s your name?” 

“Nate. What yours?” Nate asked and the boy smiled. 

“Well Nate it is lovely to meet you. My name is Peter. Now, what are your family’s names?” 

“Tooper, Wiwa and Dada,” Nate said, and the boy smiled. Now that Nate was up high, he felt slightly safer. Peter was resting him on his hip and even wiped Nate’s tears and snotty nose on his jacket sleeve. 

“Ok. Do you remember where they were?” Peter asked, the names not meaning anything to Peter (he could assume that ‘Tooper’ might be ‘Cooper’ but he had no idea what ‘Wiwa’ might be and ‘dada’ was a typical response for a kid when asked their parent’s name) but maybe Nate could remember where they had been before. 

“Near da dinos,” Nate said, and Peter nodded. He turned and walked out of the planetarium and started walking down the stairs. “What you do here?” 

“Oh, I was here working on an assignment for school,” Peter replied. Nate had stopped crying now and was looking at Peter excitedly. “We had to do some research on Meteorites and what makes them.” 

“Wow! You ‘mart,” Nate said, and the boy blushed. He was about to say something when a young, female voice could be heard calling Nate’s name. “Sissy!” 

Peter turned a corner and found a girl of about 12 calling out for the young boy. She noticed Peter holding Nate and rushed towards them. 

“Coop,” she called over her shoulder and Peter watched as a boy of about 14 turned, sighed in relief, and raced over to them. “Nate, where did you go? Dad’s worried.” 

“See ‘tars,” Nate said softly, burying his face in Peter’s neck.

“It’s all ok guys. He was just looking at the stars,” Peter explained. He playfully jiggled Nate who giggled. “We should find your dad though. He’s probably worried sick.” 

“Who are you?” Cooper demanded, protectiveness for his younger siblings rising in him. 

“Sorry, my name’s Peter. I was just helping Nate, but you can have him back if you want,” Peter replied. He made to give Nate to Cooper but before the other teen could take the boy, Nate gripped onto Peter’s jacket. 

“No Toop. Wanna ‘tay wif Pe’er,” Nate protested loudly, and Cooper sighed. 

“Fine. Come on. Dad will tearing what little hair he has out,” Cooper teased, and the three Barton kids giggled but Peter just snorted softly. 

“At least this time it wasn’t somewhere open,” Cooper said as they walked, and Peter looked at him in confusion. “When we were younger, mom and dad took Lila and I to the water park on one of the hottest days of the year. It took dad 15 minutes to realise Lila wasn’t sitting on the towel with him. Mom was in the water with me, so dad only had one kid to watch. It took him another 10 to find her and when he did, he found that she’d made friends with some family and had joined them for lunch. Mom was furious.” 

Cooper and Lila regaled Peter with tales of their father while they moved through the museum before they arrived back on the ground floor. A man was standing by the front desk looking frantic and Peter realised this had to be the kids’ dad. 

“Dad,” Cooper called, and the man turned. Peter barely held in a gasp when he realised that the man standing before him was Clint “Hawkeye” Barton, Avenger and Spy. The man’s gaze drifted over the two older kids before zeroing in on Nate, held firmly in Peter’s arms. 

“Jesus Nate,” Clint said. He thanked the museum staff before racing over to his kids. Nate this time went willingly into his father’s arms and Peter smiled. “Don’t wander off like that. Your mom and your Aunty Nat would have my head if I lost you.” 

“Dada dis my new fwien,” Nate said as he wiggled out of Clint’s grasp. When he was free, he moved back over to Peter and took his hand. “Pe’er, dis my dada. Dada, dis Pe’er.” 

“Hi Mr Barton,” Peter said as he held his free hand out. Clint shook it and smiled gratefully. “I’m Peter.” 

“Clint. Thank you so much for finding him,” Clint replied. “I turned my back for one second and then he was gone.” 

“I’m told children do that,” Peter said with a smirk and Clint laughed. Nate tugged on Peter’s sleeve and indicated for Peter to lift him again. Peter did so without skipping a beat. “But I can’t blame him. I love space and stars too, so I often get caught up in that.” 

“Tars are pretty,” Nate murmured and both Clint and Peter smiled. 

“That they are bud but next time, you should ask your dad to take you. You don’t wanna get lost again do you?” Peter said and Nate shook his head firmly. 

“We told Peter this wasn’t your first time losing a kid,” Cooper teased, and Clint groaned. 

“Now the kid’s gunna think I’m a bad father,” Clint whined, and Peter shook his head quickly. 

“No way, Mr Barton, sir,” Peter said, and Clint raised an eyebrow. “Trust me, I’ve seen bad fathers and you are far from it.” 

“Well, thanks kid,” Clint felt oddly choked up. Lila slid under his arm and he squeezed her shoulder gently. “We should let Peter get back to what he was doing. And we have the rest of the museum to see.” 

“NO!” Nate yelled and Clint watched as his grip tightened on Peter again. “Pe’er ‘tay wiv us.” 

“Nate bud, Peter probably has things to do,” Clint tried to reason with the three-year-old, but he could see the brewing tantrum. Apparently, Peter could too because he shushed the boy gently. 

“If it’s alright with your family, I can stay for a little bit,” Peter said, and Nate looked up at him. “But I do have to be home to spend some time with my aunt before she goes to work, ok?” 

Nate nodded with a large smile on his face. Clint just sighed and rolled his eyes. 

“Only my kid. Well come on children. Dinosaurs and sharks await,” Clint said and the three Barton kids, along with their new friend, headed off towards one of the exhibits. 

While they explored the museum, Clint found himself talking to Peter a lot. He found the boy to be charming, respectful, and just too damn adorable. It also helped that he was smart so whenever one of the kids asked a question that Clint had no idea about, Peter could give an answer 9 times out of 10. 

At 1:30, the group had completed their adventure around the museum and in that time, Nate had refused to allow Peter to put him down. 

“Nate, we should let Peter go. It’s time for lunch,” Clint tried to reason but Nate was still holding Peter hostage. 

“No. My Pe’er,” Nate said as he buried his head into Peter’s neck. “Hab wunch wif us?” 

“If its ok with your dad,” Peter replied, and Clint just rolled his eyes. 

“Come on. I believe I promised you three terrors McDonalds. Peter, is that alright with you?” Clint asked and Peter nodded with a laugh. Clint led the four of them out of the museum and down the street to the first McDonalds they found. When they got in line, Clint turned to Peter and grinned. “Order whatever you want kid. My treat.”

“Mr Barton, I can pay for my own food. I promise,” Peter tried to bargain but Clint shook his head. 

“Nope. It’s the least I can do. You’ve essentially been babysitting my brats all day,” Clint teased, and Lila smacked him gently. 

After ordering, Peter, Nate, and Lila went to find a table while Cooper and Clint waited for the food. 

“So, do you like Peter?” Clint asked and Cooper rolled his eyes. 

“He’s pretty cool. Bit nerdy but in a good way,” Cooper replied. “Why?” 

“I was just thinking. Kid’s smart. Maybe we can organise for him to help you with school. If you want, I mean,” Clint said. He knew Cooper was struggling with some of his classes, namely math and whatever science he was taking this term. He was more of a history and English kid, so Clint didn’t blame him for having trouble. 

“I think that would be good,” Cooper replied after a moment. “I think he’d help without making me feel like a dumbass.” 

Clint ruffled his son’s hair before their order was called. Cooper and Clint grabbed the two trays and walked over to where they could see Peter and the kids sitting. Clint dished out the food and all the kids took theirs with gratitude. 

During lunch, Clint watched with a fond smile as his kids peppered Peter with questions. However, it was one question from Cooper that caught his attention. 

You’re from Queens, right?” Cooper asked and when Peter nodded, he continued. “So, you must know all about Spider-Man.”

“Uh, I know a bit,” Peter said, and Clint listened intently. He hadn’t fought Spider-Man during the “Civil War” but he had heard about him from his teammates after the fact. 

“He is so cool!” Cooper said excitedly and Peter raised an eyebrow. 

“Well, your dad’s an Avenger so he’s pretty cool too,” Peter said and while Clint puffed out his chest, Cooper rolled his eyes. 

“Nah, he’s just dad,” Cooper said, and Clint let out an offended noise. “Spider-Man is awesome. I’ve watched all the videos of him on YouTube. The one where he caught he speeding car was so cool.” 

“Have you met him Peter?” Lila asked and Clint frowned at the look on her face. If he didn’t know any better, he’d say his little girl was developing a crush on the teen. She had pretty much attached herself to Peter on their walk over from the museum and now that he realised, Lila was sitting on thee opposite side of Peter to Nate. 

“I haven’t. But he saved my friends,” Peter replied. “We were in DC on an Academic Decathlon meet and the elevator they were in at the Washington Monument fell. He saved all of them.” 

“Wow,” The two eldest Barton kids said, and Peter smiled. Nate was too enthralled with his nuggets to comment. 

When lunch was over, Clint pulled Peter to the side quickly. 

“So, I was wondering,” Clint said, and Peter nodded for him to continue. “Coop is having some trouble with some of his subjects at school. Namely math and science. I was wondering if you would mind being his tutor?” 

“Me? Really?” Peter asked and Clint could see the look of disbelief in his eyes. “I mean, I’d love to help. If you think I’m smart enough.” 

“Kid, you are probably the smartest person I know, and I know Tony Stark,” Clint said, and Peter’s eyes widened. “Plus, Coop feels comfortable with you. I love that kid, but he is a stubborn as they come. If he doesn’t like someone, he wont even try and work with them.” 

“Thanks for the compliment, Mr Barton. Sure, I’d love to help Coop out,” Peter replied. He pulled a pen and his notebook out of his bag and wrote down some things. “That’s my phone number and my email.” 

‘Thanks kid,” Clint said before the kids pulled Peter’s attention back to them. Peter said his goodbyes to the kids, and after eventually convincing Nate to let him go, walked off down the street with a wave. 

When the kids and Clint returned to the tower, Nat and Laura were sitting on the lounges waiting for them. The kids launched at their mother and told her all about their trip and about their new friend. 

The next time Clint saw Peter was in the Avenger’s gym about 2 months later. He walked in to find Nat but since he had his head down looking at his phone, he was unaware of the other presence in the room. 

“Hey Nat, guess what?” Without waiting for her answer, Clint continued excitedly. “Cooper just got his latest math pop quiz back and he scored an A! His new tutor is amazing.” 

“I mean, I’m not really,” the familiar voice sounded, and Clint looked up sharply. Peter was standing beside Nat, both in sweatpants and tank tops. From the looks of things, they had been dancing and not sparring like Clint would have first guessed (but then, Nat’s pointe shoes also helped in identifying what the pair had been doing). “Coop just needed things explained differently. No offence but his teachers have been teaching him such a round-a-bout way to do things.” 

“Kid? What are you doing here?” Clint asked, having trouble wrapping his head around things. 

“What’s it look like, birdbrain?” Nat teased and Clint maturely stuck his tongue out at her. “Peter and I are practicing our ballet.” 

“It’s been years since I danced but when Ms Nat says you are doing something, you do it,” Peter said with a smile and a blush and Clint, although confused, smiled at the look that crossed Nat’s face. 

“How did you two meet?” Clint asked as he walked further into the gym. 

“Peter here is Tony’s intern,” Nat said proudly, and Pete’s blush darkened. “And we met early one morning when he decided that homework was more important than sleep. So, Peter is the kid my niece and nephews can’t stop talking about.” 

“Yep. Spark here found Nate after he wandered off and then proceeded to educate my kids as they explored the museum,” Clint said, and Nat raised an eyebrow. Both Laura and Nat had found out quite quickly about Clint losing Nate but when the kids had all spoken excitedly about the person who had found him, they could only laugh. 

“Spark?” Both Peter and Nat echoed, and Clint couldn’t help the laugh that escaped him. Without knowing, both shot him the same confused puppy look and it was hilarious. 

“Yeah cause you’re smart. Like a bright spark. So, Spark,” Clint explained, and he wasn’t sure that Peter’s could get any darker, but it did. “Well I’m here now, I want to see some ballet.” 

Clint sat down and Nat rolled her eyes. He waved his hand for them to continue and Peter followed Nat to the centre of the room. Nat clicked a button on a small remote she had pulled from her pants and the music started. 

Clint watched awestruck as his best friend danced the _Knave of Hearts Pas de deux_ with Peter. Clint had always known Nat’s movements were graceful, but Peter rivalled her. It was utterly amazing to watch him effortlessly lift and slide the woman around. It looked as though the pair had been working together for years. 

When the music ended, Clint leapt to his feet and started applauding. 

“FRIDAY, please tell me you filmed that,” Clint commented as he approached the dancers. 

“Of course, Mr Barton,” FRIDAY said, and Clint smiled.

“Spark, that was amazing!” Clint said and Peter blushed darkly. 

“Ms Nat did most of the pretty stuff,” Peter attempted to brush off the compliment. Clint glared and then launched into a description of Peter’s dancing that had the teen blushing even darker. 

Nat drank her water and watched as her best friend bonded with the boy she was coming to see as a son (but she would never tell anyone that). 

“FRI,” Nat commented softly. “Place another mark against Tony’s ‘Peter Factor’ board, please,” 

Because if you thought that Nat didn’t find out about the ‘Peter Factor’ list, then you obviously don’t know Natasha Romanoff. 

** Peter Factor – 6 **

** Avengers – 0 **


	7. Bucky

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the delay! The other chapters were all pre-written so that's why they came pretty quickly.   
> But also with all the COVID stress, my mental health has taken a major hit. Add into this the fact I am in my final trimester of my Masters and I have been struggling to find the drive to write. 
> 
> I hope this makes up for it a little bit. Now that things are starting to settle, I'm hoping to get a few more chapters written this week so hopefully there will be another update in the coming days.

When the Rogue Avengers returned to Stark Tower, Pepper Potts and Happy Hogan were waiting for them on the landing pad with a stack of files and frowns on their faces.

“Hello Pepper,” Steve said as the group disembarked from the Quinjet and walked over to the two people. Pepper’s frown morphed into a glare as she looked Steve up and down.

“It’s Miss Potts to you, Mr Rogers,” Pepper said coldly, and all the Rogues tensed at the tone. Steve lowered his gaze and Pepper nodded satisfactorily. She then turned to the rest of them with a stern glare. “We are here to give you the rundown on things since you are moving back in.”

“First rule – stay away from Tony’s floor and his lab,” Happy said firmly and all eyes turned to him. “None of you have access to either location anyway but don’t even try and go there. FRIDAY will not allow you access via either the elevator or the stairs.”

Steve opened his mouth to say something but shut it at the combined glare from Happy, Pepper, and surprisingly Nat.

“Second – stay away from Tony,” Happy continued. Steve looked like he wanted to protest but Bucky grabbed his arm. “If Tony is in his lab, you will not go there. The only contact you will have with Tony is during an Avengers’ meeting and even those are being scheduled through Pepper and Colonel Rhodes. If you have technology or gear requests, you submit them in writing to either myself or Pepper and we will decide if Tony sees them. You absolutely will not attempt to corner Tony after a meeting or try and catch him unaware. Remember, FRIDAY monitors everything and she won’t hesitate to tell me. If she tells me that you have attempted anything, UN edict or not, I will throw you out on your ass myself.”

“You have been assigned the same floor as before,” Pepper took over the talk. “All your rooms have remained the same. If you would like anything changed or need anything new, written requests are to be sent to myself or Colonel Rhodes.”

“Miss Potts,” Clint said softly and when Pepper turned to him, the Avengers noticed her gaze softened slightly. “Will Scott and I need to request permission to visit our families?”

“Of course not,” Pepper said and both men sighed in relief. “We ask that you let us know so that if anyone in power asks, we can tell them that we definitely know of your whereabouts but none of you are prisoners here.”

“Thank you,” Scott said softly, and Pepper nodded at him.

“Level 85 is open for you and has been converted into a full-scale gym,” Pepper continued. “The gym includes provisions for the super soldiers among you as well as a blast proof room for Miss Maximoff to practice and work on her powers. There is also a dance studio for Miss Romanoff and a fully stocked shooting range. You are free to come and go from that level as much as you please.”

“Thank you, Miss Potts,” Wanda whispered. The young girl had her head bowed and while Pepper felt a little sorry for her, she was still mad for how things had gone down.

“Final thing, and it is mere a reiteration of the first 2 rules. Stay away from Tony,” Happy said firmly. “I can not stress this any further. If Tony wants to see you, he will. But it will be done on his terms. You corner him or try and force him to see you and you will see just why I was hired.”

The bodyguard turned and walked quickly away from the group. No-one had to know that he was due to pick up the kid but right now, Happy could use some of Peter’s positive energy.

“Thank you for your time,” Pepper said, ending the very one-sided conversation. The Rogues nodded at her and started to file past her. As Bucky started to move, Pepper spoke again. “Sergeant Barnes, could I please speak to you alone for a moment?”

Bucky nodded and indicated for Steve to go on. The other man looked hesitant but at joint glares from Natasha and Bucky, sulkily walked into the elevator with the others.

“Yes ma’am?” Bucky said and Pepper raised an eyebrow.

“I just wanted to tell you something in private,” Pepper said, and Bucky felt his body tense. Maybe things would have been better if he stayed in Wakanda. “Tony doesn’t blame you, at least not anymore, for what happened in ’91.”

That floored the soldier. He had been expecting to be met with a repulsor blast to the chest from Tony and honestly, he probably deserved it.

“But I killed them. I killed his mother,” Bucky said softly, and Pepper’s stern face softened.

“No, Hydra did that. You were merely the tool,” Pepper said. “It’s like with Miss Maximoff. Tony was just the tool. His weapons were used to kill her parents. He was the tool but the ones who fired the missile were the ones who killed them. In your case, Hydra used you. They took you from those you loved and used you to harm others. It has taken some time, but he no longer blames you for the actions of Hydra.”

“Could you please,” Bucky said but he stopped. He didn’t know how to word this, but Pepper simply smiled comfortingly at him. “Please tell him again that I am sorry. And thank him. He didn’t need to have us move in here, despite what the UN spiel was. He could have confined us to the Compound upstate or simply refused. I can’t imagine anyone making Tony Stark do something he doesn’t want to do. I will do what I can to make sure everyone follows the rules.”

“Thank you, Sergeant,” Pepper said. She led them over to the elevator and when it arrived, both climbed in. When it reached the Avengers’ floor, Pepper turned to Bucky before he could leave. “When you go into your room, you’ll find somethings. Tony thought they might help you settle in and feel more comfortable. If you need anything, let me know.”

The doors opened and Bucky walked out onto the floor. Steve was waiting for him, but Bucky brushed him off. He walked into his room and found a large box waiting on his bed. Hesitantly, Bucky opened the box and gasped at what was inside. Inside was practically a gold mine of things from his past. He started pulling items out and found himself tearing up. Inside was some of his Ma’s jewellery (how Tony had gotten that he’d never know) as well as many photo albums. There was one dedicated to each of his sisters while another was dedicated solely to his mother and father. The last album was dedicated to him and Steve and Bucky couldn’t help but sit heavily on the bed. Whatever Hydra had done had essentially wiped his memories of his family and Shuri had only managed to bring a small amount back. The rest was fuzzy. But now, Bucky had the chance to try again. Next to each picture was a small written caption describing the picture and Bucky felt tears welling in his eyes as he flicked through the pictures.

When he had finished going through the box, Bucky asked FRIDAY to send a simple thank you message to Pepper which was received and passed onto Tony with a smile.

4 months passed by and most of Bucky’s time had been spent jogging his memories, keeping Steve away from Tony and working out in the gym. The world had been generally well, so the Avengers were rarely needed for missions which certainly suited Bucky.

Bucky was running on the treadmill when he felt eyes on him. It was nothing new to Bucky, but it was odd that he was feeling this while in the Avengers’ private gym. He slowed the treadmill down to a walk and cast his eyes around the room. 

On his second pass, he noticed a foot sticking out from behind the pile of punching bags. Bucky turned off the treadmill and slowly walked over to where the leg was. As he got closer, he could her the scratching of a pencil moving furiously across a page. Bucky walked around the punching bags and saw a teenage boy propped up against them with books spread around him. 

“Oh, hey Mr Winter Soldier Barnes sir,” the boy said when he noticed Bucky standing over him and the soldier couldn’t stop the smirk that spread across his face. This must be the boy he had overheard Natalia and Clint had been talking about. “Am I bothering you? Sorry if I interrupted your workout.” 

“It’s just Bucky kid and you’re all good. What are you working on over here?” Bucky asked as he looked over at what the boy was working on. It looked to be blueprints but Bucky couldn’t work out what for. 

“My engineering assignment,” the boy replied. “We were randomly assigned an area of engineering and we have to develop schematics for something related to that field. We also have to write a report about the item’s function and how it will improve the area we were given. Of course, I had to get medical engineering. I couldn’t have gotten robotics or mechanical. I have no idea where to even start.” 

“Sounds complex,” Bucky said sympathetically. He had never studied engineering so he couldn’t figure out a way he could help the boy. As he thought, the glint from his arm caught his eye and Bucky had an idea. “Why don’t you do something on prosthetic limbs? You can use my arm as a guide if you’d like.” 

The smile that lit up Peter’s face was bright and had the power to wipe away all of Bucky’s bad days. It was definitely something he wanted to see more of. 

“That’s awesome!” Peter cried excitedly. “Are you sure you don’t mind Mr Bucky?” 

“Just Bucky kid,” Bucky replied with a fond shake of his head. “Did you want to work here or somewhere else?” 

Without answering, Peter gathered up his books and grabbed onto Bucky’s flesh hand. The super soldier allowed himself to be pulled into the elevator by the excited teenager. Peter couldn’t stop rambling excitedly about the topic and Bucky just smiled. It was always nice to not be treated like a ticking time bomb. 

Bucky was pulled into one of the labs and sat down where Peter directed him. He took his jacket off to allow Peter access to his arm.

“Ok, so I know the Princess of Wakanda made this so there is probably nothing wrong, but is there anything you’d want changed about your arm?” Peter asked. 

“Yeah, Shuri did a pretty great job. My only complaint would be that sometimes it pinches at the point it connects and sometimes the braces can irritate my skin,” Bucky explained. 

Peter made diligent notes before putting his pen down and approaching. He cast a questioning look up at Bucky who just smiled at the teen. Peter began running his hands over Bucky’s arm and turning the limb gently. He made his way up the limb until he came to the join. 

“So, it pinches here?” Peter asked and Bucky nodded. “Hmm, I wonder if a flesh-like polymer could be used to soften the connection point. But then you have to make sure there is still nerve conduction getting to the limb.” 

Peter’s soft ramblings soothed Bucky and he closed his eyes. As Peter moved about mumbling, sketching, and prodding, Bucky found himself dozing, something he never did around anyone besides Steve (and occasionally Nat). 

“Bucky, would you mind taking the arm off?” Peter’s voice drew Bucky out of his dozing state. ‘I mean, you don’t have to if it makes you uncomfortable.” 

Bucky smiled again at the teen and reached up to unhook his arm. Peter cradled the prosthetic as though it was a piece of precious treasure while Bucky gently rubbed his stump. 

“May I?” Peter asked, indicating to Bucky. The soldier nodded and Peter gently touched the scarred appendage. “How do you care for this?” 

“Well I wash it when I shower, obviously. Once Shuri had made this arm, she gave me some lanolin cream to help keep the skin healthy but after all the years of poor treatment, my skin reacts badly. So now I mostly use talcum powder and a moisturising soap at night.” Bucky explained. Peter nodded and turned to make a few notes before focusing again on the limb. 

After about 20 minutes, Bucky heard the lab doors slide open. Looking over, he noticed Tony entering the lab and smiling fondly at Peter. Bucky attempted to not gasp and tense up. This had to be Tony’s lab, one of the places the Rogues weren’t meant to be. This would be enough for Tony to have him removed from the Tower. The kid hadn’t even noticed but Bucky knew he would take the fall. It wasn’t the kid’s fault Bucky hadn’t told him he wasn’t allowed in here. Tony walked over to the table and Bucky could see the surprise in his eyes when Tony noticed the Bucky’s arm was off and Peter was examining it. The ex-assassin held his breath as Tony looked over at him but relaxed slightly when Tony nodded in his direction.

“Hey there Olaf,” Tony said, and Bucky rolled his eyes at the nickname. 

“Hey Mr Stark, I’ll just be a second,” Peter said. He took a few more notes and some final sketches before turning back to Bucky. “Ok, I think I’m done.” 

Peter helped Bucky reattach the limb and smiled up at the man. 

“Thank you so much Bucky. You were so helpful!” Peter said and Bucky couldn’t resist the urge to ruffle the teen’s curls. As the soldier left the lab, he could only grin as Tony whined about Peter’s use of Bucky’s name. 

Later that same day, Bucky was reading a book on his bed when someone knocked on his door. He called the person in and sat up straight when Tony slipped inside.

“Hey Olaf,” Tony said, and Bucky nodded at him. “Um, can I sit?”

Bucky nodded and Tony sat down on the recliner that had been set up for Bucky to use while reading or watching TV in his room.

“I’m sorry,” Bucky blurted out before Tony could say anything. The mechanic looked up at him with a raised eyebrow. “I didn’t mean to go into your lab. Its not the kid’s fault. I was just trying to help him with an assignment. Its my fault.”

“Easy Barnes,” Tony said with that fond smile once again in place. “I didn’t come here to kick you out or anything. I wanted to thank you.”

“Thank me? But I broke one of Miss Potts’ rules,” Bucky said, and Tony laughed.

“Pepper, Happy, and Rhodey dictated those rules before I could even say a thing,” Tony said fondly with a shake of him head. “Don’t stress. I wanted to thank you for helping the kid. He has problems with asking for help. FRIDAY told me about his assignment, and I was just getting ready to confront him about it when he found you.”

“He seems like a great kid,” Bucky said, and Tony nodded. Bucky could see the pride radiating from the man.

“He is the best,” Tony replied. “He will be greater than all of us one day.”

The two men sat in silence for a moment before Tony slapped his hands against his knees and stood.

“Anyway, I just wanted to thank you again,” Tony said. He started to move but a photo on Bucky’s dresser caught his eye. It was one from the album of Bucky with his Ma and sisters just before he went off to war. “This is your mom, right?”

“Yeah, that’s her,” Bucky rose from the bed as he spoke and moved slowly towards the other man. “Thank you for finding the jewellery and the photos. It means the world to me.”

“Well, Hydra took both our mothers from us, the least I could do was give you yours back,” Tony said, and Bucky felt guilt well up in him.

“I’m sorry I can’t give yours back,” Bucky replied, and Tony turned to look at him. the solider bowed his head and he tensed when Tony rested a hand on his shoulder.

“Its alright Bucky,” Tony said, and the other man looked up at his nickname. “I don’t blame you. I blame Hydra. And knowing that we are working to destroy them is all I need. I have many fond memories of my mom and I reflect on them rather than on her death. I know that she would be proud of the changes I have made in my life and that’s all I need to know.”

“Still. I am eternally sorry,” Bucky said, and Tony nodded in understanding. “So, how did you get the photos and jewellery?”

“Your sister Anna, her daughter had all of it,” Tony said, and Bucky frowned. “Has no one told you? You have a few living relatives still. I can send you their information if you’d like.”

That day, Bucky found a new friend in not only a teenager, but in the man who had tried to kill him once.

3 weeks after their first meeting, Peter came bursting into the communal kitchen where Bucky and Steve were having a cup of coffee. The teenager threw a black portfolio onto the table and indicated for Bucky to open it. As he did, he noticed that it was the report Peter had written on Bucky’s arm and plastered across the top of the cover page was a big, red A+. 

“Well done bud!” Bucky said proudly and Peter blushed. Bucky ruffled the teen’s curls and Peter half-heartedly swiped at the older man’s hand. 

“Give me 2 more weeks and I’ll be done,” Peter said and at Bucky’s raised eyebrow, he continued. “With the upgrades you requested. I’ve just about got the polymer worked out and integrated. Mr Stark is just helping me ensure that the nerve conduction is going to work.” 

Bucky stared at the teen for a minute before standing and pulling Peter into a tight hug. As he softly whispered his gratitude into Peter’s ear, Bucky vowed that no harm would ever come to this boy if it did, the Winter Soldier would be coming out to play. 

FRIDAY silently added another check mark to the scoreboard Tony had created. 

**Peter Factor - 7**

**Avengers - 0**


	8. Steve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve comes face-to-face with Peter. Will the stubborn soldier fall like the others or will he stand tall?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Managed to churn this chapter out quite quickly. I was so inspired that this was all written in one day. I hope I've gotten Cap right. I don't necessarily hate Cap, I just think his naivety and inability to see grey areas can be quite the downfall. 
> 
> Hope you like this chapter and as always, thanks for all the love and support.

When Steve first met Peter, he didn’t meet Peter. He met Spider-Man. During that meeting, he threw an airport boarding tunnel on the hero, so it probably wasn’t the most stellar first impression. The second time Steve met Spider-Man was during an incident in Times Square. The Avengers had been called to intervene when giant lizards began emerging from the sewers.

“Clint, have you found where these things are coming from?” Steve called down the comms as he slammed his shield into another lizard. The team had been fighting for 2 hours now but they seemed to never stop.

_“Negative Cap. Just from the sewers,”_ Clint’s reply was strained and from where Cap was, he could see the man firing arrow after arrow at high speed.

_“We need to find their central exit point and close it,”_ Nat’s voice was also strained as she spoke.

_“I think I can help there,”_ a new voice came over the comms and the team all turned their heads as Spider-Man grabbed one lizard and webbed another one to the ground.

_“What have you got for us?”_ Tony asked and Steve tried to keep his composure. Since he and the others had returned, Tony had refused to even look at him, let alone speak. When he had been forced to communicate, Tony’s words were short, sharp, and so icy Steve could feel the shivers running down his spine. But with this person, Tony almost sounded warm and fond. Tony landed off to Steve’s left, near where Spider-Man had come to a stop

_“I found where they are coming from and I know who is doing this,”_ Spider-Man said as he and Tony dodged one of the lizards.

“Can you take us there?” Steve asked and Spider-Man looked over at him. Steve felt overly scrutinised as the other hero looked him up and down before his gaze turned back to Tony.

_“The man behind this is Dr Curt Connors, former Oscorp scientist,”_ Spider-Man continued speaking, as though he hadn’t heard Steve. _“Sources say he was fired from Oscorp 3 months ago after some ethical issues were raised regarding his research.”_

_“Do you know where these things are coming from?”_ Rhodey asked and Spider-Man nodded.

_“They are all emerging from a central junction about 4 blocks over. These lizards here on the ground are the last ones,”_ Spider-Man replied, and Tony turned sharply to him.

“And how do you know that?” Tony demanded and the other superhero shrugged. As Tony continued to stare him down, Steve watched as the figure shrunk back slightly.

“I may have just come from there. And I may or may not have just had a teensy, tiny altercation with Dr Connors. And he may or may not have been in full Lizard form when this happened,” Spider-Man said quickly, and Steve watched as Tony’s faceplate flew up.

“So, you’re telling me that you took on a genetically enhanced Lizard by yourself? And you didn’t think to call for backup?” Tony demanded and Spider-Man’s head dropped. “See these greys? You’re the main cause of them. FRI, run a scan on Spider-Brat.”

Steve couldn’t hear the AI’s response, but he watched as Spider-Man’s body language changed. Steve couldn’t tell much about what the other person was feeling due to the mask, but he could see that his body language had begun to resemble that of an exasperated child. Tony ignored the protests and continued to have FRIDAY check him over.

“So, we just have to manage these ones. What about this Dr Connors?” Steve asked, drawing the attention of the other two men.

“Contained,” Spider-Man replied firmly, almost coldly, and Steve frowned. Surely the kid (he was young during the Germany fight, that much Steve knew for sure) couldn’t still be mad about the boarding tunnel. “I webbed him up and once the antidote spreads through his system, the NYPD will take him into custody.”

“Alright Spider-Brat, FRI says you have some minor injuries, but your healing is taking care of that,” Tony interrupted, and Spider-Man turned back to the other man. “Head straight back to the Tower and I’ll meet you in my lab for a debrief. My intern will probably be there too so if that’s the case, don’t scare him. He can be quite jumpy.”

“Gotcha Boss,” Spider-Man replied cheekily. He gave a quick, two-fingered salute before firing a web and swinging away. Steve turned to ask Tony about the other hero but before he could open his mouth, Tony’s faceplate dropped back down, and the man shot into the sky.

When the team had returned to the Tower, Tony told Rhodey to take notes for him in the debrief before he disappeared down to his private lab. And once again, Steve could only feel immense guilt as Tony disappeared from view.

Steve first met Peter as a hyperactive blur that rushed into the common room and had thrown a folder at his best friend. Before Steve could question the kid, Bucky jumped out of his seat and pulled the kid into a tight hug.

“Ah, Bucky?” Steve asked after a few minutes. Bucky pulled away from the teen and Steve noticed he was wiping a few tears from his eyes. The kid looked over at him, and Steve would have sworn a flash of anger crossed the kid’s eyes. “Who’s this?”

“Right, Stevie, this is Peter. Peter, this is my best bud Steve. Peter here is Stark’s intern,’ Bucky explained, and the kid nodded at Steve. His face however soon became bright red as Bucky continued to speak. “He is insanely smart. He has completely redesigned my arm. And, according to these notes, will soon have an upgrade for me.”

“Wow,” was all Steve could say. The boy continued to look down at the floor, but Steve could tell he was proud of himself. “That’s a truly kind thing for you to do son. You must be brilliant.”

“I’m just average Mr Captain America PSA Rogers sir,” Peter replied and while Steve raised an eyebrow at the name, Bucky blew him away with the loud bark of laughter that emerged from him.

“Wait, wait,” Bucky said between deep, hearty laughs. “PSA? What the hell is that?”

“Oh, you don’t know?” Peter said and Steve watched as the boy raised his head. There was an almost malicious twinkle in his eye as he looked up at Bucky.

“Oh Lord. I can’t believe this,” Steve said. He put his coffee and tablet down on the table and felt himself blush scarlet. “Do they still show those?”

“Of course, they do,” Peter replied, his voice being drowned out slightly by Bucky’s laughter. Peter then turned to the former assassin and smirked. “Want to see?”

Ignoring Steve’s protests, Peter pulled Bucky into the living room and asked FRIDAY to turn the TV on. Steve followed them in slowly and could only watch in horror as FRIDAY pulled up a playlist of all his “Rappin’ with Cap” videos.

After the first one, a hysterical Bucky sent a message to Natasha and told her to get to the common room ASAP. The spy in question walked into the room and it was only because of years of knowing her that Steve realised she was prepared for a hostile threat. She obviously hadn’t been prepared to see Bucky and a teenager sitting on the lounge while Steve sat in an armchair blushing bright red.

“Nat, this is,” Steve started to say but Peter jumping to his feet interrupted the statement. Bucky stopped laughing and both men stood stunned as the teenager walked over to Nat and wrapped his arms around her. What surprised them more was that Nat didn’t pull out a knife, instead she leant down and kissed the teen on the head.

“Hey Pete,” Nat said as the pair broke apart. “So, why does Cap resemble a tomato? What have I missed?”   
  
As Nat and Peter climbed back onto the lounge and the torturous videos started again, Steve could almost pretend things were back to normal. He could almost imagine Tony was with them and was teasing him just as much as the others.

20 minutes later, FRIDAY’s voice echoed throughout the floor, causing the group to jump.

“Forgive me for interrupting,” FRIDAY said. “Boss is requesting the presence of the Whiz Kid. He says “you went up to show off. Surely you’re done by now.”

Peter jumped to his feet and after grabbing his folder and saying goodbye to the adults, bolted out of the room and into the elevator. Steve watched the excitable teen go with a fond smile.

Another 3 weeks passed before Peter and Steve met again. This time, Steve was just coming back from a run and was riding in the elevator when a flustered looking Peter entered from one of the lab floors. The teen hadn’t noticed the soldier, his head buried in a textbook.

“Mr Stark’s floor please FRI,” Peter mumbled but the elevator didn’t move. Peter looked up in confusion and finally noticed Steve. “Oh, Mr Captain America sir, I’m sorry.”

“Please, call me Steve,” Steve said, and the boy blushed.

“FRI, why aren’t we moving?” Peter asked after a moment and Steve looked to the ceiling while awaiting the AI’s reply.

“Mr Rogers does not have access to Boss’ floor. Did you want me to take him back to his floor first?” FRIDAY asked and Steve tried not to wince. Many things had surprised him in this technological age but an AI with emotions still scared and confused him at times.

“Oh no that’s fine,” Peter replied. “Override Whiz Kid. Just drop me off and I’ll jump out.”

The elevator began to move and Peter’s head returned to his textbook. Steve watched the teen for another minute before focusing back on the door. They had only gone a few floors when an explosion rocked the Tower. Without thought, Steve grabbed Peter and shielded the teen with his larger body. Steve heard Peter let out a soft whine as the elevator dropped a few floors before the emergency brakes locked in.

“Are you alright?” Steve asked once the elevator stopped moving. He leant back to look the teen over and noticed his breathing was coming in short, sharp pants. The teen was clutching at his head and Steve knew he was in the grips of a panic attack. “Peter. I need you to focus on my voice.”

“No. Please. Let me out. Help,” Peter’s voice was soft, but Steve’s enhanced hearing could make out the words.

“Peter, I don’t know what you’re seeing but whatever it is, its not there,” Steve said softly but firmly. He took the boy’s hand in his and pressed it to his chest. Steve then began to take exaggerated breaths. “Come on son, you need to match my breathing. You’re going to pass out otherwise.”

“Can’t. Breathe,” Peter murmured, and Steve squeezed his hand.

“Yes, you can son,” Steve replied. He spoke slightly louder than before, hoping that the volume would help break through the teen’s panic. “You can breathe. There is nothing stopping you but yourself.”

It took another few minutes of exaggerated breathing and coaxing for Peter’s breathing to return to normal. When that happened, he looked up at Steve with tear-filled eyes and flushed cheeks.

“I’m really sorry you had to see that,” Peter murmured. He moved from his knees to sit with his back against the wall. Steve moved beside him and made sure to keep their shoulders contacting so that Peter would still have something to ground him.

“There’s nothing to be sorry for,” Steve commented. “We all get panic attacks sometimes. Bucky’s are the worst so Sam has taught us all how to manage them.”

“I’m not a huge fan of tight spaces,” Peter said, and Steve nodded comfortingly. “And I nearly lost my friends in an explosion similar to what happened here. I guess it just brought some things up.”

Steve nodded comfortingly and lifted his arm. Peter took the invitation and pressed into the soldier’s side.

“Not to worry. Tony will have us out of here in no time,” Steve said, and Peter nodded. Steve leant over and picked up the dropped textbook. “So, what are you learning about?”

“Uh, a little embarrassing but World War 2, and you I guess,” Peter replied with a blush. “I have a history test in a few days and while I’m doing well in the course, I do sometimes struggle with the exams.”

“How about you tell me what your textbook says,” Steve said, and Peter looked up at him. “I mean, I missed a fair bit. But I could always help out with what I remember.”

For the next 20 minutes, Peter recited the information from the textbook and Steve occasionally piped in with corrections or clarifications.

“You know, I hated you at first,” Peter admitted softly. Steve had just finished explaining D-Day to Peter when the teen spoke. Peter looked up at Steve with his large brown eyes and Steve nodded for him to continue. “I really hated you. Especially when you came back. I really wanted to punch you or throw you off the roof.”

Steve kept his mouth shut and let the teen speak his piece. Steve assumed that this was something that had been brewing for a while now.

“You hurt Mr Stark,” Peter said, his tone becoming strangled and angry. “You slammed the shield into his chest and left him in the bunker in Siberia. I hated you for that. Mr Stark doesn’t know that I know. FRIDAY showed me the footage. I asked why he was so cold towards you, beyond just what the ‘Civil War’ had done ad FRIDAY told me it would be best if I saw it.”

“Peter, I am so sorry,” Steve said but Peter shook his head.

“I hated you so much for coming back. You hurt him, I almost lost him before I really got to know him,” Peter continued. “I hated that you tried to waltz back into his life when you nearly took it from him. I hated that you hid important things from him, especially once I learnt how close he was to his mom. I think that part of me still wants to hate you.”

“But?” Steve prompted hopefully.

“But there is a bigger part that can’t,” Peter said softly. “I had three role models growing up – my Uncle Ben, Mr Stark, and you. You were the total underdog and for a skinny kid with asthma, you were the ideal. I wanted to grow up strong and brave like you. I remember watching The Avengers fight the Chitauri and I remember praying that both you and Mr Stark would be ok. That part, the small, idealistic child loves you.”

“Wow son,” Steve had no other words. He’d heard songs of praise dedicated to him before but none with such passion.

“I have a really good sixth sense,” Peter said. “Think anxiety on super solider serum. It can tell me with pretty much 100% accuracy whether a situation is safe or whether or not a person is good. With you, it only flared at the beginning and that was because I was mad. But now, now I don’t feel it around you.”  
  


“Peter, I will never be able to fully articulate how sorry I am,” Steve replied once Peter grew silent. “I thought I was doing the right thing, but I was only doing what was right for me. I realise that now. There were so many factors I didn’t consider. I was blinded by my need to help and by my need to protect Bucky. I can see now how my views were jaded.”

“I used to think that superheros were infallible. That you were unable to make a bad choice,” Peter said, and Steve let out a pained laugh.

“Yeah, I think I thought that too. That was the voice of the Steve who enlisted in the army and joined the Super Solider program. Back then, things made sense. Things were more black and white whereas now, there are so may grey areas to navigate,” Steve continued. “After spending time in Wakanda, I realise now that the world can’t be simply black and white. I realise now that I was wrong.”

“Yes, you were,” Peter said. “But so was Mr Stark. Both of you were wrong and both of you were failing to take each other’s concerns or personal histories into consideration.”

“Do you think Tony will agree to see me?” Steve asked. “I want to talk things out with him. I want us to try and be friends again.”

“How about we get the two of you out of here. Then Capsicle and I can have coffee,” a new voice joined the conversation and both Steve and Peter jumped. Tony had his head and upper body sticking through the opened elevator emergency hatch above them. It appeared that the elevator had stopped just below one of the floors. “Sorry it took us so long.”

“Not a problem. Can we get out of here though?” Steve asked. He looked down at Peter with a smile. “This young man has a history exam to study for. My reputation as a historical source depends on it.”

Peter rolled his eyes as both he and Steve stood. Peter grabbed his history book and climbed up onto Steve’s clasped hands when prompted. Tony helped the teen crawl out of the elevator and handed him off to Happy. Tony then stuck his hand back into the elevator.

“Come on Capsicle. You owe me coffee and a chat,” Tony said. Steve took the outstretched hand and with Tony’s help, climbed out of the elevator.

Apparently, some scientists had been working on a new chemical compound when they had mixed the wrong chemicals. The resulting explosion had knocked three labs out of commission and 3 of the 5 elevators had also been affected. FRIDAY’s systems had been hazy in those areas and it wasn’t until an hour after the explosion that FRIDAY was rebooted.

Three hours after the explosion, Steve was hesitantly walking out of the stairwell (one elevator trip was enough for today) onto Tony’s private floor. He knocked on the door and the man in question opened it after a moment.

“Come in Capsicle,” Tony said. He led the soldier into the kitchen and Steve noticed two cups of coffee waiting on the bench. “Still like it with black with one?”

“Yeah. Nothing’s changed,” Steve said. He took the cup Tony handed him and was surprised that Tony still remembered how he took his coffee.

“Come on, we should be comfortable for this conversation,” Tony said. The two men walked into the living room and sat down on the couches. “So, I watched the footage from the elevator.”

“I thought FRIDAY was down,” Steve commented, and Tony waved his hand.

“She was but only her real-time response system was affected in the elevators. Her backup systems allowed her to still record in there,” Tony explained. “I feel like I should apologise for Pete, but I can’t. Nor do I want to.”

“Don’t. He was looking out for you and speaking the truth,” Steve replied. “He was doing what I should have done and looked out for you.”

“And I should have done a lot of things different too,” Tony agreed.

“Tony, I am eternally sorry that I kept the truth about Howard and Maria from you. Despite wanting to protect Bucky, I shouldn’t have kept that from you,” Steve said. “You are one of my closest friends. You deserved so much better from me.”

“And you deserved more from me,” Tony replied. “It’s taken me a long time to admit my failings. One of those being that I am beyond stubborn when I think I’m right. Peter and Pepper are the ones who made it possible for me to see that.”

“Tony, you have a great kid,” Steve said and a proud smile crossed Tony’s face.

“I wish I could claim him,” Tony’s voice was full of affection as he spoke. “He has shown me a different side to the world. One that isn’t so dark and cynical. He’s a pain in the ass but I wouldn’t want him any other way.”

As Tony and Steve spoke, the footage was being viewed in real-time by Pepper, Happy, and Rhodey. The three of them had heard from Peter what Tony was planning and while they had wanted to intervene, they knew it was something that needed to happen.

“Only Peter could do this,” Pepper whispered as she watched the scene in front of her.

“Next time there is a villain, we just sic Peter on them. They’ll be domesticated in a heartbeat,” Rhodey teased but both Happy and Pepper nodded. The trio continued to watch the reunion until both men finished their coffees. The reunion ended with a firm handshake and a pat on the shoulder.

The next morning, Natasha walked into Tony’s lab and noticed another check mark against the Avengers and she realised that maybe things could start to get back to some semblance of normal – well as normal as a Tower full of superheroes could be.

**Peter Factor – 8**

**Avengers – 0**


	9. Sam

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please be aware - this chapter contains descriptions of dissociation and other depression like behaviours. This example of dissociation may not be the same for everyone but for me, this is what it has looked like in the past. 
> 
> Please be careful if this may trigger you - if it does, I am always here if you need someone to talk to xx

All his years of mental health training could never prepare Sam for the sight of a teenager sitting on the ledge of Stark Tower’s roof. It was 3 in the morning when FRIDAY had woken him up with a sense of urgency. She had informed him that someone was sitting on the ledge of Stark Tower’s roof and Tony and Pepper were both out of contact range. Sam had jumped out of bed, thrown his wingsuit on over his pyjamas, and dived out of his window. When he reached the top of the tower, his gaze fixed on the figure whose legs were dangling over the side.

“Hey bud,” Sam said as he landed just behind the kid. Sam had no idea who this kid was or how he had gotten up here but that was not something that he needed to focus on. Right now, he needed to get this kid away from the ledge. “I’m Sam. Can I come closer?”

The kid shrugged and Sam moved closer. He took a seat to the left of the teen and looked him over. He was wearing a threadbare T-Shirt and some long sweatpants, he had thick socks on his feet and appeared to have been crying. Sam looked over the teen for any signs of injury but found none.

“It’s a bit cold up here. Why don’t you come inside? I’ve been told I make a mean hot chocolate,” Sam said softly but the teen shook his head.

“No thanks Mr Falcon Wilson sir. I’m alright here,” the teen’s voice was somehow familiar, but Sam cleared his mind of any distractions.

“Mr Falcon Wilson? That’s a new one,” Sam said with a chuckle and was slightly relieved to see a small smile cross the teen’s face. “So, do you have a name, or should I just make something up?”

“I’m pretty sure I have a name,” the kid said distantly and when Sam looked a little closer, he realised the boy was displaying signs of dissociation. He had the “thousand-yard-stare” that Sam commonly associated with returning veterans and seeing it on someone so young was disconcerting. “I just, I can’t remember.”

“That’s alright,” Sam said softly. “Sometimes its hard to remember stuff like that. For now though, I’m going to call you Bond cause of your shirt.”

The kid looked down at the threadbare shirt. The science joke written on it said _“The name’s Bond. Ionic Bond. Taken, not shared”_ and while Sam didn’t really understand, he could always understand a James Bond reference.

“So, what brought you up here tonight? Can you remember?” Sam asked. While he was speaking, he was moving slowly closer to the boy. He put himself within grabbing distance before stopping, the last thing he wanted to do was startle the kid.

“Gunshots. I heard them,” Bond murmured, and Sam raised an eyebrow. “Why do things happen?”

“What things Bond?” Sam asked and the boy shrugged again. He looked over the edge and Sam tensed.

“Dunno. Things,” the kid said.

“Well, somethings like breathing happen without our notice. Somethings like smiling can happen without thinking or they can happen because we are copying someone else. Is that what you mean?” Sam asked.

“Why does dying happen?” the kid asked, and Sam barely held in a gasp. The blank stare on his face unnerved Sam and made him want to wrap the teen up in a blanket and hug the living daylights out of him.

“That is one thing I have never been able to answer,” Sam replied honestly. The boy’s gaze moved from the skyline to Sam and the older man smiled at him. “People say it’s a part of life. But I still don’t get it.”

“Death is, death is dumb,” the boy said, a pout crossing his features and Sam laughed softly.

“Yeah it is Bond. It sucks,” Sam replied. “Death sometimes takes the people we love from us before we are ready for them to go.”

“Uncle Ben,” the boy whispered, and Sam nodded. The boy looked into Sam’s eyes as tears spilled down his cheeks. “Where is he? Where am I?”

“Well I can tell you that you are on the roof of Stark Tower,” Sam said, and the boy looked blankly around him. “As for your uncle, he may not physically be here but, as cliché as it sounds, he will always be with you.”

Sam slid closer again and Bond’s gaze locked on his. Sam lowered the collar of his shirt and showed the teen the tattoo resting over his heart. Bond mindlessly lifted a hand and Sam smiled as the kid traced over the letters of Riley’s name.

“Riley was my best friend, my wingman,” Sam said softly. “We did everything together. We even went so far as to enlist together. We joined para-rescue together and whenever I went on a mission, he was by my side.”

“What happened?” Bond asked. He had stopped tracing the letters, instead focusing on the wings next to the name.

“We were flying a rescue mission in Afghanistan when Riley was shot out of the sky. I lost my best friend that day,” Sam explained.

“Uncle Ben and I were just going to the store. Aunt May wanted milk,” Bond said as he dropped his hand back to his side. “We were inside when a guy came in and pulled out a gun. Uncle Ben was a cop, but he was off duty. He tried to talk the guy down, but he got shot instead.”

“Shit kid, I’m sorry,” Sam said, and Bond let out a strangled sob. Sam took that opportunity to wrap his arms around the teen and drag him back from the ledge. Sam held the now sobbing teen to his chest and attempted to soothe him.

“I miss him,” Bond sobbed, and Sam nodded.

“I know Bond. I know,” Sam replied. He ran a hand over the kid’s hair and shushed him gently. “He wouldn’t want you to be sad. He’d want you to go on living. I’m sure he’d want you to kick ass and take names.”

Bond let out a soft, watery chuckle as he cuddled into Sam’s chest more.

“Come on Bond. I’m cold and I can practically hear the hot chocolate calling us,” Sam said. He and Bond stood slowly, and Sam escorted them both to the elevator. Once inside, Sam called out to FRIDA Y softly. “FRIDAY, common floor please.”

“Of course, Mr Wilson,” FRIDAY’s voice was soft but Sam noticed the flicker of recognition that passed through Bond’s eyes. “Thank you, Mr Wilson.”

Sam practically carried the teen out of the elevator when it arrived on the floor and led him straight over to the lounge. Bond sat down with only a small whimper of complaint as Sam tried to let him go.

“I’m going to make us some hot chocolate. Why don’t you cuddle up to this blanket and get warm?” Sam said. He pulled a throw rug over and watched as the teen nodded. The boy wrapped the blanket around himself but still held on to Sam’s arm. “I’ll be just in the kitchen over there. I won’t be long.”

Bond reluctantly let his arm go and Sam took the opportunity to wrap two more blankets over him (knowing that the pressure from the weight of the blankets would do the kid some good). Sam walked into the kitchen and started preparing the things for his famous hot chocolate.

“FRIDAY, what can you give me on the kid? Who is he?” Sam asked softly as he worked.

“According to Mr Stark’s usual protocols, I would normally be unable to provide you with that information,” FRIDAY said but she continued before Sam could interrupt. “But given the circumstances, his name is Peter Parker. He is 15 years old and is from Queens.”

“Thanks FRIDAY,” Sam said. 10 minutes later, Sam poured two mugs of hot chocolate and walked back out to the lounge. Bond, or Peter, was still in the same position but Sam could see he had relaxed slightly. “Here we go Bond. World’s best hot chocolate.”

Peter took the mug and brought it to his lips. As he started to sip the warm drink, Sam sat down beside him, close enough that his shoulders were brushing Peter’s.

“So, FRIDAY told me your name,” Sam said, and Peter turned to him. His eyes were still slightly glazed, but it looked like there was more focus coming back to them. “Your name is Peter. Do you remember that?”

“Yeah,” Peter said. “I’m Peter. Peter Parker.”

“That’s really good bud. Really good,” Sam said. He took a sip of his own drink and kept his gaze locked onto Peter. “So, Peter, you’re 14, right?”

“No, I’m 15,” Peter said firmly, and Sam smiled at the annoyance on the kid’s face. The fact that Peter was correcting Sam was a good sign.

“Ah of course, how could I mix that up?” Sam teased. “Do you have a favourite movie? We can get FRIDAY to play us some background noise.”

“Star Wars. Any of them,” Peter said, and Sam looked up at a camera. Without asking, FRIDAY began playing “A New Hope” on the large TV screen and Sam grinned at the serene smile that crossed Peter’s face.

One hour into the movie Sam heard a sharp gasp from the body beside him. Sam grabbed the empty mug out of Peter’s limp hand and placed it beside his on the coffee table.

“Mr Falcon Wilson sir? What’s going on? Where am I?” Peter asked as he looked around frantically. “Am I on the Avengers floor?”

“Yeah bud you are. Welcome back,” Sam said. Peter turned to the older man with a confused look. “I found you a few hours ago up on the roof. I think you may have dissociated.”

“Dissociated? How did I do that?” Peter asked.

“Not sure. Do you remember anything from a few hours ago?” Sam asked in reply. Peter looked down at the floor trying to think and after a moment, Sam felt him begin to tremble. “Peter, you need to take a few deep breaths. You are safe here. Nothing can hurt you here.”

“I had a nightmare,” Peter whispered, and Sam grabbed his upper arms to help ground him. “I think I remembered the night Uncle Ben died.”

“You mentioned him earlier,” Sam said, and Peter looked up at him with watery eyes. “You mentioned that he was shot when you two went out for milk.”

“Yeah. I guess, I still feel responsible,” Peter finished his sentence in a broken whisper and despite his usual dislike of hugs, Sam pulled the teenager into a tight hug. Peter cuddled into Sam’s chest and sobbed softly. “I know it’s not my fault and I know I couldn’t have done anything, but I still feel responsible.”

“That is unfortunately on of the parts of grief. We all experience it differently. When Riley died, I blamed myself,” Sam admitted, and Peter sniffled slightly. “I kept telling myself that I could have done something. I could have grabbed him. It’s the ‘what ifs’ that kill you. Neither Riley nor Ben would want us to blame ourselves for what happened would they?”

Peter shook his head but before he could say anything, the elevator doors opened. Sam was expecting one of the Avengers so colour him surprised when a robot that looked like two orange and white balls rolled out of the elevator. The bot rolled straight over to them and bumped into Peter’s leg.

“Hey buddy,” Peter cooed as he wiped his tears away. He leant down and Sam raised an eyebrow as the kid rubbed his hands over the bot’s belly. “Mr Falcon Wilson, this is BB-8.”

“He’s pretty cool. Did you make him? Wait, I need to know, how are you even here?” Sam finally asked the burning question and Peter blushed.

“Mr Stark and I made him. I’m Mr Stark’s intern and on weekends I generally stay here. He and Ms Potts had to unexpectedly fly to Japan but since my Aunt is away on a Girls’ Weekend, Mr Stark told me I could still stay here,” Peter explained. “Wait, FRIDAY, how is BB-8 here?”

“I assumed that you may need something to make you smile,” FRIDAY said fondly, and Sam laughed. “Mr Wilson has done a good job of calming you down and helping you out, but I assumed something familiar may help as well.”

“You are getting way too smart, FRIDAY. So, you must be pretty damn smart then Peter,” Sam commented, and Peter’s blush deepened. “Well, baby genius or not, you still need sleep. Do you want to go to your room or would you like to camp out here? I’m sure we could raid the cupboards for blankets and pillows. My little nieces say I make a mean pillow fort.”

“A pillow fort sounds fun,” Peter admitted after a minute. “But I don’t want to cause a mess.”

“Come on. The other Avengers won’t be back until late tomorrow. We can have the whole area cleaned up by then,” Sam goaded, and Peter smiled and nodded after a moment. The two of them jumped up and Peter and BB-8 followed Sam down the hallway to one of the linen cupboards. Sam piled all the blankets he found onto Peter before grabbing out some pillows. Another two trips to the linen cupboards (as well as stealing from various Avengers’ rooms) meant that they had mountains of pillows.

“That is one heck of a fort Bond,” Sam said after 25 minutes. The fort was huge, big enough for probably 4 adults to fit inside if they wanted. Peter crawled in excitedly, followed by BB-8 who beeped in what Sam assumed was excitement. When Sam joined the teen, he held open the ‘doorway’. “FRIDAY, play the next Star Wars movie please.”

As the movie played, Sam looked over at the teen. he was smiling happily and patting the bot by his side. Sam knew that he needed to talk to Tony and the kid about him getting more help but for now, Sam would just enjoy watching Peter smile.

When Pepper and Tony returned from their Japan trip, Tony noticed another checkmark against the Peter Factor. When he questioned FRIDAY, she showed him all the footage and, after recovering from the heart attack that came with seeing his kid sitting on the roof ledge, Tony asked FRIDAY to order a gift basket for Sam to thank him.

**Peter Factor – 9**

**Avengers – 0**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I noticed people are asking for a “Peter domesticates the villains” story. Frankly, I would absolutely love to write this! But question – which villains would you like to see Peter work his magic on? Any suggestions or things you’d like to see them do? 
> 
> Also, people who have been asking for the fic recommendation – my favourite “Peter domesticating villains” story would have to be “The Avengers’ Not-So-PG Discord Servers” by the wonderful silentwhisper002. There are a few chapters dedicated to Peter’s domestication skills but the whole fic is seriously amazing. I read it at least twice a week! If anyone has any other recommendations for this theme, please let me know 😊


	10. Bruce / Hulk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce returns and finds that many things have changed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the delay in getting this chapter out. Bruce was being mean and not helping me with the writing!   
> I hope you enjoy this (even though I'm not the biggest fan of this chapter). 
> 
> Also please note that this chapter takes place before the Rogues returned.

Tony was on his way to the Compound when the alarm sounded. Satellites from all countries had picked up a foreign object entering Geosynchronous orbit and government officials were starting to fear a potential alien threat. Tony received a message from one of the scientists at the Compound saying that they were receiving a message from space, but they needed his codes to process and translate. 

When Tony arrived, the Compound was in an uproar. Scientists were running around in a mix of fear and excitement. Tony made his way straight to the astrophysics lab where Dr Jane Foster was working. 

“What have we got Doc?” Tony asked as he walked in and Jane, Erik Selvig and Darcy Lewis all looked up at him. 

“Not sure yet. The ISS intercepted a data burst, but it was too complex for their systems to decode,” Jane explained. “We were hoping we could use FRIDAY to decode the transmission. But to do that we need your access codes.” 

“Alright, let’s see what we are dealing with,” Tony said. He threw his jacket over a chair and joined Jane and Erik at the computers. 15 minutes after Tony arrived, the transmission was downloaded, and FRIDAY was working through the decryption. 

“Boss, I’ve finished decoding the transmission,” FRIDAY said after another 20 minutes had passed. 

“Play it Baby Girl,” Tony said. 

_ “This is the Asgardian refugee vessel Statesman. We seek permission to land at the Avengers’ Compound,”  _ a male voice projected through the speakers and Tony shared a glance with Erik. 

“FRIDAY, open up a channel to the ship. Surely you can do that,” Tony ordered. A few lines of code appeared on the screen in front of him and Tony continued to shoot glances between Jane, Erik, and the computer. 

“Channel open, Boss,” FRIDAY said after a few minutes. Tony leant forward and pressed a few buttons on the computer before speaking into the microphone. 

“Statesman, this is Tony Stark,” Tony said, firmly and confidently. “How can we verify this is true?” 

_ “Tony? Tony, its me, Bruce,”  _ the familiar voice echoed down the transmission and Tony’s knees went week. His best friend beside Rhodey had been missing since Sokovia. _“You have no idea how good it is to hear your voice. It’s truly us. We have civilians on board. Refugees.”_

__

“Bruce, you son of a bitch,” Tony replied with a borderline hysterical laugh. “I’ll send the coordinates. Get your ass down here so I can hug you, punch you, and then hug you again.” 

The connection cut out and Tony typed in a few commands onto the computer. Once he was certain FRIDAY had transmitted the coordinates, Tony turned to the others.

“I’m going to go meet them. Jane, could you call Rhodey and tell him to let the Joint Chiefs know that everything is fine,” Tony asked. Jane nodded with a smile before Tony barrelled out of the lab. 

Tony paced back and forth just outside of the area he had sent for Bruce to land the ship. He hadn’t seen his best friend for over two years and to be honest, he’d been expecting to receive a phone call saying that Bruce’s dead body had been found. 

“Boss, the Asgardian ship is entering the atmosphere,” FRIDAY said into Tony’s ear and when he looked up, the ship was slowly making its descent. After another minute, Tony was covering his face as the ship landed and whipped up dust. The door opened and a landing ramp descended and before he could stop himself, Tony was approaching. He found himself speeding up as Bruce appeared and made his way down the landing ramp. 

“Tony,” Bruce said, and Tony grabbed the other man in a tight hug. He squeezed his best friend tightly and felt tears welling up in his eyes. 

“You son of a bitch,” Tony hissed out as he pulled away from the hug. Keeping his promise, Tony pulled back his arm and punched Bruce firmly in the bicep. Bruce raised an eyebrow at him before Tony pulled him back into a hug. “You ever do that again and there will be nowhere in the universe you can hide from me.” 

“It’s good to see you too Tony,” Bruce said, tears welling up in his own eyes. “I missed you so much.” 

“Fill me in. What’s been happening?” Tony asked as the pair broke apart. 

“Well, there is a lot to tell. Starting with, Asgard has been destroyed,” Bruce said. Tony’s gaze was drawn over Bruce’s shoulder as more people began to descend from the ship. “Tony, I need you to swear not to lose your shit.” 

Tony was about to question his friend when the people descending from the ship moved closer and he was able to make out their features. One was a woman he had never seen before; another was a behemoth who looked like Point Break but without the long hair, and the third, well.

“What the actual fuck is he doing here?” Tony demanded as Thor, the woman, and Loki stopped behind Bruce. “I had better be seeing things.” 

“Hello Tony,” Thor’s voice was softer, more subdued as he spoke. “Please accept my gratitude for allowing us to land here.” 

“Yeah yeah Point Break. Whatever. That still doesn’t answer my question,” Tony replied, his gaze not leaving Loki. 

“Tony, when I said a lot has happened, I meant it,” Bruce said. Tony finally tore his gaze from the villain to face his friend. “Just know that Loki helped us. Both Thor and I will vouch for him. And Val here will cut off his limbs if he doesn’t something stupid.”

The woman nodded with a smirk and Loki just rolled his eyes. Tony looked between the newcomers and eventually nodded. 

“How many people have we got? Do we need medical?” Tony asked the small group in front of him. 

“On our ship there are about 200,” the woman, Val, replied. “Most of them are civilians we managed to evacuate. We have a few soldiers who have injuries though.” 

“I’ll get Cho and her team,” Tony said. He raised his hand and clicked the button on the side of his glasses. “FRIDAY have Cho and her team come down. Tell them we have some battle injuries. Also order mattresses and sleeping bags and what not. We can use one of the empty training rooms as temporary living quarters.” 

While Tony had been speaking to FRIDAY, Val and Loki headed back to the ship and started to bring the refugees off. 

“I expected more people,” Bruce said gently. He may have been missing for a while, but he could tell there was some serious tension running through the compound. 

“Things have changed Brucie-Bear,” Tony said. His tone was heavy, almost broken and Bruce and Thor shared a glance. What the hell had happened since they were gone? “Quick summary: after Sokovia, things went to shit. The UN and the government imposed a bunch of restrictions on us and what we could do, and Rogers didn’t agree with that. The Avengers had a major falling out. We aren’t on speaking terms right now.” 

“How did things go so wrong?” Thor asked. 

“Differing of opinions and personalities,” Tony said bluntly. He looked over Bruce’s shoulder and watched as women and children disembarked from the Asgardian ship. Before he could say anything more, Cho and her team appeared. “Dr Cho, your customers are just over there.”

“Welcome back Thor, Bruce,” Helen said before rushing past them to her new patients. Thor, Bruce, and Tony stood to the side while Helen’s crew rushed past. It took 45 minutes for Helen to triage all the wounded and eventually, only 40 were required to go to the Medbay. The remaining, healthy Asgardians all corralled behind Val and Loki and approached Tony and the other two. 

“Alright guys,” Tony said, a smile on his face but Bruce noticed it never reached his eyes. “Follow me. I’ve had some people helping to get one of the empty training rooms ready for you all to stay in. Mattresses and bedding should be arriving soon. If you need anything, my AI FRIDAY is always around to help.” 

Tony led the large group into the compound and down to the training room. It looked bare when he and the Asgardians entered but Tony turned to Thor and Bruce. 

“How can I make this more homely?” Tony asked them. “At the moment this is pretty plain and nowhere near welcoming. Tell me what you need, and I will make it happen.” 

“Friend Stark, this is too much,” Thor said softly, and Tony’s gaze softened. Tony placed a hand on Thor’s shoulder and squeezed it gently. 

“No Thor. It’s not enough,” Tony said firmly. “You and your people lost your home. This is the least I can do for you.”

The Asgardians made their way into the training room and started to spread themselves around. Tony smiled as a small child walked past him and waved at him. 

“If you need anything, ask FRIDAY,” Tony said. At Bruce’s raised eyebrow, Tony continued. “JARVIS’ replacement. She controls the Compound and the Tower. If you think of anything you need, just let her know and she’ll tell me. Bruce, Thor, it’s so good to see you both again.” 

Brushing off the platitudes from Thor and Bruce, Tony walked out of the training room that was now housing the Asgardians. He gave orders for the supplies he had ordered to be delivered straight to the Asgardians as he walked out of the compound. As he climbed into his car, he sent a message to Happy to tell him to not pick up the kid. Tony needed some Peter time. 

Tony didn’t return to the Compound for a few weeks (not to be unexpected given the Rogues returned to the Tower) but in that time, the Asgardians had started to make the Compound their home. Bruce had been given a lab to allow him to work on medicines and whatnot for the Asgardians (due to their biological make up, normal, human medicines didn’t have the same effects). 

“FRIDAY, could you please make note of this combination. I think this might help with the flus the children seem to be developing,” Bruce said absentmindedly. 

“Of course, Dr Banner,” FRIDAY replied. Bruce was about to say something more when the door to his lab opened and a teenager walked in. 

“Don’t mind me. I was just hoping to borrow some chlorobenzene,” the teenager said without looking up from his STARKPad. When he did finally look up, his jaw dropped. “Oh my god! You’re Bruce Banner.” 

“Yeah,” Bruce said. He didn’t mean to sound exasperated but anytime he was recognised, it was because of the Hulk. After spending 2 years as the Hulk on Sakaar, Bruce wanted to be himself again. But what the kid said next had him stunned. 

“I have read all your papers! Your paper on the impact of gamma radiation on DNA strands, like, OMG. I have read that one almost 100 times,” the kid said excitedly. “I have written multiple papers on you! There is a picture of you in both my physics and my chemistry classrooms.”

“Um, wow, thanks,” Bruce said. He had no idea what to say. He knew those in the scientific community had read his work, but he had never heard of a teenager doing so. “Um, who are you?” 

“Dr Banner wants to know who I am,” the kid said, almost in awe. “Ned is going to flip. Oh, um, I’m Peter.”

“Well Peter, it is nice to meet you,” Bruce said. He approached the teen and shook his hand. The kid shook the hand firmly and excitedly. When Bruce dropped the hand, the kid continued to stare at his hand in awe. “So, what are you working on? Chlorobenzene is quite a strong solvent.”

“Dr Stark and I are working on dissolving solutions for Spider-Man’s webs. We are trying to manufacture a more efficient solvent that can be used on all of the web combinations,” Peter said. He then looked over to what Bruce was working on. “What are you working on Dr Banner?” 

“Some medications specifically for the Asgardians,” Dr Banner explained. The teenager placed his STARKPad down and looked intently at Bruce as he spoke. “Their DNA makeup is so different from humans that it makes medicating them difficult. When Asgard was destroyed, many the healers died so there isn’t much medical knowledge available to us.” 

“Have you considered incorporating potassium iodide? That may help boost the healing aspects of other compounds,” Peter commented. 

“I hadn’t actually. Wanna help?” Bruce asked and the kid’s eyes lit up. Peter nodded excitedly and joined Bruce at the workbench. For the next three hours, Bruce and Peter worked diligently on developing medications for the Asgardians. They only realised how long they’d been working when they heard a throat being cleared. Looking up, Tony was standing in the doorway smirking at the two of them.

“So, this is where you got off to Underoos. Thought you’d fallen down a hole or something,” Tony teased, and the kid blushed. 

“Mr Stark, its DR BANNER! He asked me to work with him. I wasn’t going to say no. I’d be absolutely mad to refuse,” Peter said while waving a pen at Tony. 

“Mhm sure Underoos. I can see how it is,” Tony said, and Peter rolled his eyes at Tony’s theatrics. Bruce smiled fondly at his friend. While Tony had always been jovial, with Peter it wasn’t forced. He was actually happy and excited in the boy’s presence. “Come on Underoos. Time to feed that blackhole you call a stomach.” 

“Can Dr Banner come with us?” Peter asked softly, looking between the two men. Tony looked over at Bruce and nodded. 

“I’d love to join you guys,” Bruce said, and Peter smiled widely. “Besides, I need your opinion on one of these formulas.” 

Peter led Bruce and Tony out of the lab and while Tony trailed behind the excited teen, he pulled up the Peter Factor board on his STARKPad. Another Avenger had fallen. 

** Peter Factor – 10  **

****

** Avengers – 0  **

****

****

****

** BONUS  **

****

** ** HULK **  **

****

While Bruce had spent an increased amount of time as Hulk, he had come to respect his other half. He had learnt that Hulk just wanted time to enjoy the world himself without being forced out due to anger. The two ‘entities’ still argued, and Bruce was still somewhat afraid of The Other Guy, but they were slowly coming to an agreement. 

Part of the agreement was that once a week, Hulk would be allowed out. During that time, he would generally spend time with Val and the two would ‘fight’ out on the grounds of the compound. 

“Alright their Big Guy?” Val asked as she and Hulk sat on the grass. They had just finished sparring and Val was taking a swig of vodka. 

“Hulk want more friends,” Hulk said, and Val raised an eyebrow. “Hulk like Angry Girl but Hulk want more friends.” 

“What about that tiny human Bruce was talking about?” Val asked. “Have you asked him to be your friend?” 

“No,” Hulk said, almost pouting. “He be scared.” 

“Well you don’t know until you ask,” Val said before raising her voice, loud enough to be heard by FRIDAY. “Computer, could you ask Banner’s teenager to come down here.”

After a few minutes, Val and Hulk turned as footsteps were heard. Peter was making his way down to them and Val smiled. 

“Just be nice and remember, he is a tiny, frail, human,” Val said. She patted Hulk on the hand and stood. She nodded at the kid as he approached before walking away. 

“Hey there Big Guy,” Peter said. Hulk looked over at him and tried to appear smaller. 

“Hello,” Hulk said, smiling when Peter smiled. 

“Did you need something?” Peter asked as he moved closer. 

“Want new friends,” Hulk said, almost sadly. Peter moved to sit beside him and rested a tiny hand on Hulk’s larger one. “You be friends?”

“I’d love to be your friend bud,” Peter said, and Hulk smiled widely. Hulk raised a hand and patted Peter on the head. 

“You small. Don’t want to hurt,” Hulk said. Peter smirked and stood. Hulk was initially afraid that he’d said something wrong but was surprised when Peter crouched before leaping like a cat onto his back. 

“Don’t worry about that,” Peter said. Hulk turned his head to look at the boy. “Have you heard of Spider-Man?” 

“Tiny Avenger? Tin Man talks about him,” Hulk said. He raised an arm and let out a bellowing laugh as Peter crawled along the underside of it. 

“Well that’s me. Trust me, we can have a great time without you worrying about hurting me. What shall we play?” Peter asked. 

“Catch?” Hulk asked and Peter nodded. Hulk stood and Peter stayed clinging to his arm. Hulk walked over to the nearby woods, Peter still dangling from his arm, and grabbed a large log. “Too big?” 

“Nope, just right,” Peter said. “Can you throw me? I want to try something.” 

Hulk raised his arm and, not using full strength because Tin Man and Banner would be mad if he broke Tiny Spider, flicked his arm out. Peter went flying with an excited shout, flipped twice in the air before landing gracefully. Hulk let out a loud laugh and Peter turned to him. 

“Catch time,” Peter called out and Hulk nodded. He pulled his hand back and tossed the log. Peter caught it using his webs and flung it back to Hulk. 

Hulk and Peter played catch for an hour before Hulk felt himself tiring. Peter walked back over to hum and sat down beside him, panting happily. 

“That was so much fun,” he said, and Hulk nodded. “We definitely need to do this again.” 

“Yes. Spider good friend,” Hulk said. He lay down on his back and Peter crawled onto the larger man. Hulk rested a hand on Peter’s back as the teenager cuddled into him. 

“FRIDAY lets add another checkmark to the Peter Factor,” Tony said fondly as he watched the scene in front of him. Ever since FRIDAY had said that the Hulk wanted to meet Peter, Tony had been watching. He trusted Bruce when he said Hulk was changed but he still needed to know that his kid was safe. 

** Peter Factor – 11 **

****

** Avengers – 0  **


	11. Thor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning – mentions of self-harm and sexual abuse (no graphic references but it is mentioned)

Thor wasn’t hiding. He wasn’t. He was the King of Asgard and the God of Thunder. The God of Thunder didn’t hide. But if he ducked away whenever anyone tried to corner him or jumped into empty rooms to avoid conversations, then if the shoe fits.

Thor had had to destroy his home planet to save his people. He had caused Ragnarök and now his people were stranded. How could he face them knowing what he had done? Logically, part of him knew that he had saved them, but the larger part was calling him a failure for losing so many people. So, in order to forget, Thor had taken to drinking. He did it in private so no one would know. He had an idea that Loki and Val knew but neither had a leg to stand on when it came to coping strategies.

Thor was sitting in a deserted conference room with a large bottle of rum when he first met Peter Parker. He had been sitting in a corner, swigging the rum when the door had opened. A teenager walked in and sat down at the table in the middle of the room. Thor watched as he pulled out several textbooks and notebooks and started mumbling to himself.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” the boy said as Thor shuffled and he finally noticed that he wasn’t alone in the room. “I didn’t think anyone was in here. I needed to get some homework done and Mr Stark is blowing things up in the lab. Normally I would be so down for that, but I really need to get this work done.”

As the kid spoke, Thor stared at him in wonder. People all over the compound had been looking at him in either awe or sympathy, but this boy was doing neither. He knew Jane was here somewhere, but he had been avoiding her (more so than anyone else). He had seen Lady Darcy and Erik, but they had only been quick interactions. Thor didn’t deserve to be in their presence.

“Tis fine, young one,” Thor’s voice was gravelly from lack of use and slurred from excessive alcohol consumption. The boy looked up from his books again and stood. Thor watched as he approached, and he felt the boy’s gaze lock on him.

“Mr Thor sir, I don’t think the solution is at the bottom of the bottle,” the boy said. Thor rolled his eyes and finally made eye contact with the teen. Rather than looking at him in pity (as Thor had expected), the boy looked disappointed. The look reminded Thor of his mother, which made him angrier.

“Probably not. But I’ll never know if I don’t try,” Thor said. He saluted the boy and took another mouthful of rum. The boy frowned and sat down in front of him. “Why are you here child?”

“Well, initially I was going to do homework. But now I think you need someone to talk too,” the boy said. Thor scoffed and took another drink. “Or if you wont talk, you can listen.”

“I am a god,” Thor said and surprisingly the boy rolled his eyes.

“And?” the boy said, surprising Thor with his sass. “You’re a god, yep and so is your brother. That doesn’t mean you are above emotion or above listening. It also doesn’t give you the right to talk to me like I’m nothing.”

“You are mortal. Your lifespan is insignificant compared to mine,” Thor said. If he had been in his right mind, he would be mortified that he was speaking to a child like this. But the rum had loosened his tongue and lowered his inhibitions.

“It may be shorter but mine will probably be more fulfilling,” the boy replied snarkily. Thor’s jaw dropped as the boy spoke. Not many people had the balls to say something like that to him. While he was distracted, the boy leant over and grabbed the bottle of rum. Before Thor could say anything, the boy ordered FRIDAY to open the window and he pitched the bottle out of it. “Now the rum is gone.”

“I’ll go get more,” Thor hissed out. Before he could stand however, a white substance emerged from the boy’s wrists and encompassed Thor’s hands and legs. Thor strained against the substance but couldn’t move. “Release me, mortal.”

“Nope,” the boy said. He ordered FRIDAY to lock the door and close the window before he turned back to Thor. “And my name is Peter. Not mortal, Peter.”

“Release me,” Thor ordered again but the boy just shook his head. “How dare you?”

“Easily,” Peter replied. He looked over at Thor and shook his head. “You know, I’ve lost nearly everyone I’ve ever cared about and gone through quite a lot of shit. I know a thing or two about unhealthy coping mechanisms.”

That made Thor stop his attempts to escape. The boy looked young (but then again, to an Asgardian every human was young). He was probably only in his early teenage years, would be considered nothing more than an infant on Asgard. But the longer Thor looked, the more he could see the pain behind Peter’s brown eyes.

“When I was 4, my parents died,” Peter said softly. “They were in a plane crash. I was then raised by my Aunt May and Uncle Ben. At first, I had no idea what was going on. I just thought I was having a holiday. I was 6 before I finally came to the realisation that my mom and dad were never coming back. I didn’t handle that well. I shut myself off completely. Refused to speak, hardly ate, just ignored the world.”

Thor remained silent as the boy spoke. For some reason, he was becoming invested in the child’s story.

“Then when I was 8, I made a friend. Well, I thought I did,” Peter said. Thor watched as a shudder ran down the boy’s back and his gaze hardened. “His name was Skip. I met him in the library one day. He was a teenager, but we got along well. I have always been advanced so when I met him, I was reading one of Dr Banner’s papers. My aunt and uncle were happy that I had a friend, so Skip became my babysitter.”

“What happened?” Thor asked softly. Peter took a few deep breaths before he continued speaking.

“At first, nothing. He was just my sitter and my friend. But then things changed,” Peter paused and took another deep breath. “Needless to say, he did things to me and made me do things that no child should ever do. He stole a lot of my innocence that day.”

Thor saw red. In his youth he had called for war, but even he knew that you never touched a child. Children were innocent and therefore not to be touched. The fact that this human swine had harmed a child in the most intimate and soul-crushing of ways made Thor violently angry. He could feel the anger rising in him and it was only when Peter’s hand rested on his arm that he realised he was beginning to summon thunder and lightning.

“Deep breaths, Mr God Thor sir. Deep breaths,” Peter murmured. Thor took a few deep breaths and found himself looking into Peter’s eyes. The boy wasn’t scared of his display, if anything his eyes were projecting calm.

“Please tell me he has been taken care of,” Thor hissed out.

“I made a friend at school, my best friend Ned. He was the one to help me understand that what Skip had been doing was wrong. He was there when I told my aunt and uncle. Skip was arrested and has been in jail ever since,” Peter said comfortingly. Thor nodded and mimicked Peter’s soothing breathing pattern. Once the thunder and lightning had disappeared, Peter continued. “Took me a while to recover from that. At first, my only way to cope was to hurt myself. I used scissors or razor blades. Again, it was Ned that saved me. He caught me one day and told our school counsellor.”

“Please tell me that is all. That’s more than enough for one person to handle,” Thor pleaded, but as Peter smiled sadly, Thor knew there was more to come.

“I wish. When I was 14, so last year, I was on a school trip and I was bitten by a radioactive spider. I was so sick I thought I was going to die,” Peter said. “Once I got better, I had these amazing superpowers. But I couldn’t tell anyone. One night, Uncle Ben and I were going to the store. Aunt May needed milk so off we went. We were inside the shop when a guy came in. He had a gun and was robbing the place. Uncle Ben tried to talk him out of it, but the guy shot him. Uncle Ben died in my arms that night.”

“Norns above,” Thor whispered. Peter nodded sadly at him. He had moved so he was sitting beside the god and Thor was surprised when Peter rested his head on the god’s shoulder.

“My aunt and I tried to keep it together but neither of us handled it well. Aunt May threw herself into work and I threw myself into Spider-Man. I was going out every night hunting the guy down, but I also wasn’t caring about myself. I came home every night with bruises and injuries, I was barely sleeping, and I was starting to distance myself from my friends again. I just couldn’t stop. I felt responsible for Uncle Ben’s death because I figured, I had powers so I should have stepped in, but I didn’t.”

“But that is what parents do. They protect their young,” Thor said, and Peter nodded.

“It took a while for me to understand that. Aunt May and I had an argument and after I cooled down, we managed to talk things out. I still sometimes feel responsible for his death, but my guilt is getting better,” Peter said. He lifted his head and looked Thor firmly in the eye. “What I’m trying to say is, drinking and ignoring your problems isn’t the way to cope. Shit happens and unfortunately for you, a lot of shit has happened all at once. I’m not saying you have to talk to me but talking to someone is the best. If you keep swimming in guilt, eventually you will drown.”

“I’m the one who destroyed Asgard,” Thor said softly. He looked at Peter who was just smiling comfortingly. “My sister Hela escaped from Hel after my father’s death. The only way to properly defeat her was to cause Ragnarök.”

“Sounds like you were trapped between a rock and a hard place,” Peter commented. “A damned if you do and damned if you don’t situation.”

“I just wish there had been another way,” Thor said, tears starting to slip down his face.

“Hindsight is 20/20,” Peter said. “A friend recently told me that it’s the ‘what ifs’ that will kill you. You couldn’t have done anything else in the situation. You need to focus on the good things. What are some good things?”  
  


“I don’t know,” Thor murmured. Peter raised an eyebrow and Thor was again reminded of his mother. “Um, my people are safe. But not many, onl-“

“Uh uh,” peter said, slamming his hand over Thor’s mouth. “Good things only. Your people are safe. Focus on that.”

“We have a chance to rebuild,” Thor said, and Peter nodded excitedly. “We can still tell stories of Asgard. We can and will remember Asgard.”

“Perfect,” Peter said proudly. “Just take it day by day. One little thing you’re happy for each day will make things feel better.”

“Thank you, _Lille venn (little one)_ ,” Thor said. He looked down at his hands and when Peter followed his gaze, he blushed bright red. “Would you mind releasing me?”

Peter jumped up and raced over to his bag. He grabbed a small spray bottle and Thor watched as he sprayed the substance. Soon enough, it had melted away. Thor climbed to his feet and, without warning, pulled Peter into a tight hug.

“Thank you, _liten en_. I will remember what you said,” Thor whispered to the teen. “I am in your debt. If you ever have need of me, do not hesitate to ask.”

Thor walked out of the room, intending to go and join his people while Peter returned to his homework.

The next time Thor saw Peter it was just after a meeting. Tony had called Thor into a meeting with the Norwegian government. They had a large area of land they were willing to gift to the Asgardians as a new home. The Norwegians were more than happy to have the gods from their mythology in their midst, so Thor readily accepted.

“Stark Industries is funding the migration and the building of homes and whatnot,” Tony said as they exited the meeting room.

“Stark, Tony,” Thor said slowly. “You have done so much for us.”

Before Tony could answer, an explosion from a nearby lab had both men turning sharply. They raced down the hallway to the lab and Tony yelled at FRIDAY to open the door. Sitting behind a shield in front of a fume cupboard were a cackling Peter and Darcy. Both stopped laughing when they heard the door open.

“Oh shit, we’re busted,” Darcy said as she turned and noticed who had entered the room. Darcy and Peter exchanged a look before they both shrugged and burst out laughing again.

“2 things. 1 - what the hell are you two doing in here, and 2 - why are you unsupervised?” Tony demanded as he looked around the lab. Thor was stunned, the lab was covered webs and a mix of other chemicals. Smoke was billowing from some beakers on the floor but both Darcy and Peter appeared unharmed. 

“Testing web formulas,” Peter answered first before looking at Darcy and nodding.

“Jane got distracted and left us alone. Her and Bruce were rambling – something something supernova something explosion something,” Darcy finished, and Tony sighed heavily.

“FRIDAY watch the brats. I’m going to find their babysitters and rip them new ones,” Tony said before throwing his hands in the air and walking out of the lab. Thor watched him go before turning back to the laughing humans.

“Hey Thor,” Darcy called. She patted the ground beside her quickly. “Come sit.”

Thor did as requested, and Peter grinned at him. The grin was one Thor could remember seeing on Loki back when they were younger and he was about to cause mischief.

“Wanna have some fun?” Peter asked slyly. Darcy was nodding excitedly from beside him and Thor shrugged.

“Why not, young Peter. I could use a laugh. Today, while joyous, has been hectic,” Thor said.

“Perfect,” Peter said excitedly. “FRIDAY, implement ‘Bombarda’ protocol.”

“Bombarda protocol initiated. Be careful Peter,” FRIDAY said, a hint of amusement in her tone.

“What are we doing?” Thor asked. Peter jumped to his feet and the god watched as Peter cleared away the 6 smoking beakers from the fume cabinet and replaced them with new ones. Each beaker had a white, viscous fluid inside of it that looked completely harmless. Peter then gathered a few bottles, test tubes and stoppers and walked back over to where Thor and Darcy were sitting.

“So basically, these are rejected web formula combinations,” Peter explained. “Mr Stark wanted me to dispose of them, but Darcy and I realised that depending on what chemicals we add, we can make interesting effects. One of the combinations made the webs glow in the dark which is awesome! Some of the combinations we have kept because they might have a benefit for Spider-Man. Others just explode and well, who doesn’t love a good explosion.”

“So how can I partake?” Thor asked. Darcy grinned and grabbed one of the chemicals from the pile Peter had brought over. She filled a test tube and put a stopper in the top before handing it to Thor.

“Well, we’ve been dropping these into the beakers then racing back here,” Darcy said. “Tony thinks we’re not being safe, but we totally are. I mean, its in a fume cupboard and we have goggles on. We are fine.”

“Thor needs goggles. He needs to be safe too,” Peter yelled and both Darcy and Thor laughed as the gangly teen jumped to his feet and rifled around in a drawer for a pair of safety goggles. When he found them, Peter tossed them over his head at Thor. The glasses hit the god in the head, causing Darcy to cackle evilly. “Shit! Sorry Mr God Thor sir.”

“Don’t stress shrimp,” Darcy said before Thor could answer. “When I first met Thor I tased him. And Jane hit him with her car. Twice.”

“Aye. I learnt then just how formidable Midgardian females were,” Thor teased back. Darcy winked at him as Thor slid the goggles on. “So, I just pour this into one of the jars.”

“Yep. Pretty much. Sometimes nothing happens. But that’s the game,” Peter replied. “The ‘Bombarda’ protocol just ensures no one else suffers if things go boom.”

Darcy and Peters’ excitement was infectious, and Thor found himself grinning like a child as he walked over to the line of jars. He took the stopper off the tube, grabbed a beaker, and poured the blue liquid into it. Before he could put the beaker back in the fume cupboard and move away, the chemical reaction occurred. The blue liquid met the white fluid and before Thor could react, it foamed up and burst out all over the god. Thor looked over at Darcy and Peter, who were trying valiantly to not laugh.

“Oh, so that’s how it is going to be, is it?” Thor said with a raised eyebrow. He started advancing on the giggling humans who both jumped to their feet.

“FRIDAY, open the damn door!” Peter bellowed as Thor let out a battle cry and started chasing both Darcy and Peter. The pair split up as they left the lab, but Thor decided to follow Peter.

Tony was dragging a sheepish Jane and Bruce out of their lab when the three of them heard Thor’s battle cry, followed by Peter’s giggles. As they exited the lab, Peter barrelled past them, followed closely by a blue, foamy God of Thunder. The scientists watched as the God of Thunder grabbed the teenager around the waist, pulled him into a tight hug, and rubbed the blue foam all over him. Tony simply rolled his eyes and tapped a few things on his STARKPad. Another Avenger had fallen.

Thor looked down at the giggling teenager in his arms. He swore then and there that no matter where the universe took him, he would always protect Peter Parker.

**Peter Factor – 12**

**Avengers – 0**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is me celebrating submitting my last assignment for my Masters!! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Now that I have a bit more time on my hands, I hope to have the next chapter out soon. Next up will be the ever delightful and mischievous God of Lies, Loki :) 
> 
> The language Thor spoke was Norwegian :) Thanks for reading


	12. Loki

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Loki's turn. Surely he will defeat The Peter Factor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay but since today is my birthday (21/08) I decided to give all of you a gift. Hope you enjoy :)

Thor wasn’t coping and Loki knew it. No matter how hard his brother tried to hide it, Loki knew it was happening. Losing Asgard so soon after all the other tragedies in their lives had tipped Thor over the edge. Loki knew Thor had taken to drinking, no matter how hard he tried to hide it. 

But then one day, Thor stopped drinking. He had returned to the Asgardian living space looking contrite and had walked around apologising to everyone for his recent behaviour. Thor had then presented himself to Loki and Valkyrie with a kicked puppy look. Val had snorted and rolled her eyes while Loki raised an eyebrow at his brother. 

“Is your pity party finished now?” Loki asked and Thor nodded. “Good. Get your shit together. Your people need you.” 

Loki didn’t know what had caused the change in his brother’s behaviour, but he was grateful for whatever it was. As the days passed, Thor became more invested in his people and how he could best help them. Three weeks passed and, in that time, Thor had been meeting with Stark and the Norwegian government. Apparently, they had land available that the Asgardians could use. Thor and Stark were negotiating the move and the logistics behind that. 

Loki had been staying as far away from Stark as he could. While he knew Stark wouldn’t do anything to him (hopefully), he wasn’t about to tempt fate. Whenever Stark was at the compound, Loki made himself scarce. He made himself even more scarce (if that were at all possible) when the other Avengers began to return to the Compound. The last thing he needed was to hear them screaming for his head on a chopping block. Despite helping the Asgardians, he knew many of them still wanted his head. 

Loki was walking down the corridors one day when he heard yelling. Just as curiosity was about to get the better of him, a door at the end of the hallway slammed open. Stark walked out angrily, swearing in a language Loki knew to be Italian. The captain followed him and stopped at the sight of Loki. 

“He isn’t locked up?” Rogers hissed and Loki tensed. Before he could respond, Stark spun around. 

“No Steve, he isn’t,” Stark said firmly. “And he won’t be. For the same reason Barnes isn’t. We both know that mind control and coercion are a bitch.”

“He attempted to destroy New York,” Rogers’ voice was rising in volume and intensity and Loki felt himself being drawn into his darkest memories by the sound. Before anyone else could come upon the scene, and without being noticed, Loki vanished from view. He reappeared in the furthest corner of the training room assigned to the Asgardians. In their time on Midgard, the refugees had made the room their own. It had begun to resemble to Grand Hall on Asgard and while most people felt at home, Loki had never felt more lost. 

Loki moved over to the area he had chosen for himself and walked into the small room behind it. It had obviously been a storage space but Loki had been able to transform it into an escape room for when the stares, glares, and comments became too much. He curled up on the comfortable bedding Stark had given to all the refugees and silently began to conjure small bluebirds, Frigga’s favourites. Whenever Odin and Thor had fought, Loki would take solace somewhere quiet and use his magic to distract himself from the noise. 

“Mr Loki, sir?” a soft voice had Loki vanishing the birds and conjuring a dagger. Before he could throw the dagger, he realised the speaker was a young Midgardian. The boy was looking at him, not in revulsion or fear like many others, but in concern. “Thank you for not throwing a dagger at me.”

“What do you want, child?” Loki hissed out. He could hear both Thor and Frigga berating him in his mind but he couldn’t care any less. What the boy said in reply however had Loki confused. 

“I wanted to see if you were alright,” the boy was sitting by the door of Loki’s hideaway, not encroaching on his space which Loki had to (grudgingly) respect him for. “I was telling some of the kids a story when I saw you appear. You looked upset. I wanted to check on you.” 

“As you can see, I am fine,” Loki said sarcastically. The boy frowned but Loki continued before the boy could interrupt him. “If you would please leave. I desire peace.” 

Loki turned his back on the boy and returned to his bird conjuring. But the boy didn’t leave. 

“Your magic is really cool,” Loki turned sharply. The boy was looking at the birds in awe as they flew around the space. The boy turned to him with a wide, excited grin. “How did you do that? What else can you do?” 

That floored the god. No one ever told him his magic was ‘cool’. His magic was reviled. He was looked down on for his ‘trickery’. The only time anyone found it useful was in battle and Loki, despite all pretences, preferred to not participate in war if he could avoid it. Odin spent many years criticising whenever Loki did magic, while simultaneously praising Thor for his brute strength. Frigga had taught him about magic and Loki loved having that deep connection to his mother. 

“Did my brother send you?” Loki asked softly. The boy looked away from the birds and shook his head. 

“No, Mr Thunder God didn’t send me,” the boy said. Loki raised an eye and smirked at the title bestowed on his brother. “Mr Stark tells me that I’m not allowed to be with Mr God Thor unsupervised. Apparently, we ‘make a mess’ but we don’t really. Mr Stark and I have made bigger messes.” 

“What is your name young one?” Loki asked. No matter what anyone said, he wasn’t softening towards the child. 

“Oh, sorry. I’m Peter. Peter Parker,” the boy, Peter, said. He ruffled his hair and Loki watched as the curls fell back into the exact same spot. “I’m Mr Stark’s intern. Sometimes he brings me up here to work if he has meetings and stuff.” 

Loki nodded along as he spoke and watched as Peter lifted a hand. One of the birds landed on his hand and Peter let out a soft noise of excitement. Loki waved his hand again and this time conjured some butterflies to join the birds. Peter made an excited sound and Loki watched as the boy shuffled closer. 

“This is so beyond cool,” Peter murmured as he moved closer to Loki. The god looked down at the teenager and couldn’t stop the smile from crossing his face. Peter looked up at him and Loki raised an eyebrow at the teenager. “Are you sure you’re ok Mr Mischief sir?” 

Loki couldn’t stop the snort from escaping him as the boy called him that ridiculous name. Peter blushed brilliantly and Loki just conjured some more butterflies. 

“I am tired,” Loki said after a moment and Peter stopped focusing on the insects to look at the god. “I am tired of feeling as though I am constantly being judged. I am tired of always being on edge.”

Peter remained silent as Loki spoke and Loki was grateful for that. The god knew that if the boy interrupted, Loki would stop speaking completely. 

“I try and help and I get scorned. I probably deserve most of what I get but what is frustrating is that I have repented. I helped Thor battle our sister. I helped rescue our people,” Loki could feel tears of frustration welling up in his eyes and he scrubbed at his cheek angrily. Pressure against his side made him look down and he noticed Peter was leaning against him, cheek resting on the god’s shoulder. Loki gave in to instinct and rested his head on the boy’s. “I’m just tired. The Avengers don’t want me here and I can respect that. But neither do the Asgardians. I don’t belong to anywhere.”

“I want you here,” Peter’s voice was soft as he nuzzled into the god. Loki tensed as Peter’s arms wrapped around his middle but soon, he relaxed. “And I think you fit right here.” 

Loki buried his head into the boy’s curls and felt a few tears drip down his cheek. He would never let anyone see his tears. He couldn’t. 

“Mr Loki,” Peter said and Loki lifted his head to look at the teen. “Sometimes people, and the world in general, suck. But all we need is one person to believe in us and make us feel better. I think that you are pretty cool. I mean, sure you fucked up New York a few years back but from what Mr God Thor and Mr Stark said, you were being mind controlled. If you need someone to believe in you, I can do that.” 

Loki smiled down at the boy and wrapped his arms slowly around the teen. Peter nuzzled into his side and let out a soft, content sound. The teen stayed with Loki in his little room for most of the afternoon, until FRIDAY told Peter that it was time for him to leave. 

“See ya later Mr Mischief Loki sir,” Peter said as he jumped to his feet. He waved brightly at Loki before leaving the god’s little nook. Loki watched him go with a fond smile. 

Three days after Loki first met Peter, he found himself being called into a meeting with the Avengers. Loki attempted to project calm as he walked into a room full of people he was sure wanted him dead. He was surprised to find not only the Avengers, but Peter as well. What made the whole situation more confusing was that the Avengers all looked like chastised puppies. 

“Hey Mr Mischief sir,” Peter said as he bounded over to Loki. Loki accepted the hug Peter threw at him, all the while keeping his gaze on the Avengers. “Come sit. There is something that the Avengers have to say to you.” 

Loki sat down beside Peter and looked over at the other people in the room. No one moved. Loki watched as Peter looked over at the group and glared at them (which was as intimidating as a small bunny but whatever). Rogers then cleared his throat and stood up. 

“Loki,” Rogers said, and Loki looked up at the sheepish man. “Peter has brought it to our attention that we really haven’t been treating you right.” 

Loki looked around the room and suppressed a smirk. Stark was smirking in his seat as he looked over the team, Rogers was looking chastised, Barton was looking a mix between sick and frustrated, Barnes was actually poking Rogers to keep him speaking, and both Wilson and Natasha had blank faces. 

“Go on,” Loki said and he jolted as Peter poked him firmly in the side. The teen shook his head when Loki looked at him and the god raised an eyebrow. 

“We really should have taken into account the testimonies of those who know you better,” Rogers continued. “Thor, Bruce, and Valkyrie have all vouched for you. They all vouched that you had helped them and that you were being mind controlled.” 

“Stevie here realised just how dumb his arguments were when Petey placed me in your shoes,” Bucky chimed in and Steve blushed. 

“Look, its going to be hard for us for a while,” Steve continued and Loki nodded. “But that’s no excuse for us to treat you like dirt. So, on behalf of all of the Avengers, we are sorry.” 

“Accepted,” Loki said with a firm nod. He then looked at Peter quickly before looking back to the Avengers. “And may I say, I am sorry for what happened when I was under the influence of Thanos. I apologise for what I made you do.” 

Loki directed the last statement at Barton who nodded at him firmly. Loki knew that they would never be friends, but he thought that maybe they could now at least be civil to one another. 

The meeting ended and Peter grabbed Loki’s arm excitedly and pulled him down the hallway. They entered the Asgardians’ rooms and Peter dragged Loki over to his nook. 

“Can you do more magic?” Peter asked eagerly and Loki could only laugh at the boy. Again, Loki allowed the happiness to wash over him and influence his magic. What Loki hadn’t realised that was Peter’s excitement had drawn the attention of many Asgardian children. The children had begun to congregate around Loki’s area, watching in awe as Loki made birds and various other animals appear. When he finally noticed his audience, Loki’s initial reaction was to retreat. But when he saw the wide-eyed wonder on their faces, rivalled only by Peter’s, he kept up the magic. 

Loki had a lot to thank Peter for. Not only had the teen made sure the Avengers removed the target that had been painted on him, but he was also helping change the minds of the Asgardians. Loki was finally starting to relax and feel at home in this new place. 

Tony and Thor were watching the whole scene from a computer terminal in the conference room. 

“Your son is a wonderful child,” Thor said after a few minutes of observation. 

Tony didn’t even try and rebuff the comment. Nor could he wipe the ridiculously proud smile off his face as he watched Peter and the Asgardian children encourage Loki to put on his magic show. 

** The Peter Factor – 13  **

****

** Avengers (and Co) - 0 **


	13. Wanda

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In honour of Chadwick Boseman please enjoy this chapter. I have hardly stopped crying since the news broke. Rest in Power Your Majesty. Thank you for gifting the universe with your work. 
> 
> I had one of those freaky moments today - this morning as I was getting dressed, I went to put on a shirt but changed my mind at the last second. I ended up choosing my favourite Black Panther shirt instead. Only realised after the news broke. 
> 
> The T'Challa chapter will now be more special when it gets written.
> 
> If anyone is struggling, please don't hesitate to get in contact with me. I am always here for you
> 
> Much Love  
> Bronte (midnightwolf2192) xx

When Wanda was initially told the Rogues had been pardoned, under the proviso they remained at the Stark Tower, she had thrown what can only be described as a tantrum. King T’Challa had told the gathered Rogues the deal and Wanda had instantly felt her magic flare.

“So, I am expected to be Stark’s prisoner, yet again?” Wanda had demanded, her Sokovian accent thickening with her emotional change. Steve looked at her with a sympathetic look while Natasha rolled her eyes. “Typical.”

“Grow up Wanda,” Natasha’s words had the Sokovian turning her glare onto the redhead. “Wanda, you weren’t his prisoner before. In his way, Tony was protecting you. You were technically not a US citizen; in fact, you were there illegally. You had also just inadvertently killed foreign aid workers. There were people out for your blood and the only thing stopping them was Tony Stark and the power he has over the government.”

“Don’t act all high and mighty with me. You turned on him just as much as I did,” Wanda hissed venomously. Natasha fixed her own glare on the woman and before anyone could say a word, Nat had Wanda against a wall, a knife to her throat.

“And I have paid for that. I betrayed one of my closest friends. We all betrayed a man who has done nothing but give to us,” Natasha hissed and for the first time, Wanda was scared of the woman in front of her. “Remember this маленькая ведьма (little witch), I initially sided with Stark. In some batshit moment of weakness, I followed Cap into exile. I want to go home, to the one place I felt of as home. You ruin this for me, and no one will ever find your body.”

“Nat, that’s enough,” Steve commanded. Nat dropped her knife and with one final glare directed at Wanda, turned back to T’Challa.

“I will sign whatever needs to be signed. I’ll agree to whatever terms they have,” Natasha said before storming out of the room. Clint followed her quickly and the remaining Rogues turned back to the king.

“The UN have requested that you remain at the Stark Tower for the foreseeable future. If you comply with this ruling without complaint, and following positive reports from Miss Potts and Mr Stark, they will revaluate the terms of your return in six months,” T’Challa explained. The Rogues all nodded in agreement before T’Challa was called away by one of his advisors.

“Everything will work out guys,” Steve attempted to sound chipper but everyone could hear the undertone of fear in his voice.

For the remaining two weeks of their exile, Natasha refused to speak to Wanda. She even went so far as to leave the room if the younger woman entered. Eventually, Wanda managed to corner Natasha, something the redheaded Russian was not happy about.

“Let me out of here маленькая ведьма (little witch),” Natasha hissed as Wanda locked the training room doors with her magic.

“No, I want to speak with you,” Wanda said, false bravado radiating in her body. In truth, she was absolutely terrified, both of the woman in front of her and the prospect of returning to America.

“Make it quick,” Natasha hissed, turning to face the Sokovian.

“Why do you stand up for Stark?” Wanda asked, although truthfully that hadn’t been her original question.

“What do you know about him?” Natasha fired back.

“He is a narcissistic, egomaniac who only cares for himself. He takes no accountability for what his weapons have done,” Wanda replied firmly.

“The man you are describing is the Tony Stark of the 1990s and early 2000s. That Tony Stark died in Afghanistan,” Natasha’s tone was icy as she spoke. “Yes, pre-Afghanistan Tony Stark cared only for himself. That Tony didn’t take accountability, that is correct. But I’m not talking about the Tony from years past. I’m talking about the one you have met. Who is he?”  
  
Wanda couldn’t answer. For most of her life, she had built up the image of Tony Stark from the information gathered during his weapon building days. It was that belief that led her to Ultron. That one that led her to rebel and join Captain Rogers. That was the image she refused to let go of.

“That’s what I thought,” Natasha said as Wanda remained silent. “I suggest you spend our remaining time here in Wakanda educating yourself. Look into 2008 Tony. Yes, that was the year you and Pietro lost your parents to Stark weaponry. But do your research child. Now, let me out of here.”

Wanda let the woman leave and once she could no longer hear Natasha’s footsteps, Wanda left the training room as well. She entered her private rooms and grabbed the tablet T’Challa had provided her with. She started doing what Natasha told her.

For the first time, Wanda watched Stark’s press conference from his return from Afghanistan. The man who sat at the front and instructed the reporters to do the same, all while eating a cheeseburger, was not what she expected. She watched as he humbly admitted he had become a part of a system with no accountability. Wanda watched in awe as he stood and shut down his weapons manufacturing division.

Wanda checked the time and date and realised that the press conference had occurred in May of 2008. Her parents were killed in July of 2008. By all accounts, Stark had stopped making his weapons by then.

Wanda then found the information regarding Obadiah Stane and what he had done. She read through the statements and information regarding who he had sold weapons too and sure enough, one of those organisations was the one responsible for bombing her home. She put the tablet down on the bed with heavy sigh.

“Wanda, you ok?” Clint’s voice from her doorway had her turning her head. The man she was coming to think of as a second father walked further into her room and sat by her on the bed.

“I really messed up, Clint,” Wanda said, tears forming in her eyes. Clint pulled her into a tight hug and kissed her forehead as the tears fell.

The next day, Wanda and the Rogues sat on the jet headed for Stark Tower. Wanda kept her head down as Miss Potts gave them their briefing, startled slightly when she realised Stark had built her her own training room, and when she was dismissed, she went straight to her room. It was exactly as it had been before the split. Down to the pair of shoes she had left by the end of the bed.

“FRIDAY,” Wanda said softly to the AI she knew was around.

“Yes Miss Maximoff?” If an AI could sound frosty, FRIDAY was surely the one to do it.

“Is Vision in the building? Am I allowed to ask that?” Wanda asked.

“You can ask,” FRIDAY replied. “My brother is not currently in the building but I can advise him that you would like to see him when he returns.”

“Thank you, FRIDAY. That would be wonderful,” Wanda replied. The AI fell silent and Wanda dropped down onto her bed. The Sokovian looked around the room and not for the first time, was in awe. “Pietro, if only you were here now.”

Later that day, a soft knock at her door had Wanda sitting up. She called the person in and smiled upon realising it was Vision.

“Hello Wanda,” Vision said and Wanda found herself blushing.

“Hi Vis,” she replied softly. The synthezoid smiled at her as well before moving further into her room. “I see you learnt how to use the door.”

“Yes well, apparently people find it unnerving when I simply appear in their rooms via the walls,” Vision said with a smirk. Wanda couldn’t stop the giggle from escaping her at the proud look on Vision’s face. “How are you?”

“I’m alright. Glad to be back,” Wanda replied with an honesty that actually surprised her. “Um, look, I wanted to apologise. For what happened.”

“Wanda, there is no apology necessary,” Vision said. The look in his eye had Wanda blushing deeper. “I hold no ill will. I never have. I am just glad you are safe.”

“How can you not hate me?” Wanda asked suddenly and Vision looked at her in confusion. “I betrayed you. I threw you through the building.”

“Quite easily,” Vision replied. “You were afraid and confused. I do not hold your actions against you. I just hope that you have seen that we were aiming to protect you.”

“I do now,” Wanda replied softly and Vision smiled. The synthezoid moved to sit beside her on the bed and Wanda blushed as he took her hand.

As the weeks passed, Wanda’s relationship with Vision grew and it wasn’t long before they were officially a couple. The Sokovian had also started to notice a change in her teammates in that time. Something was making them happier and despite not knowing what it was, Wanda was happy for them.

Wanda first met the elusive Peter Parker because of Vision. The Rogues had decided to spend the weekend up at the Compound but Wanda wanted to stay behind.

“FRIDAY, is Vision around?” Wanda asked after trying to find Vision to no avail.

“He is on Boss’ floor. Shall I ask him to come down?” FRIDAY replied.

“Please,” Wanda said. The Rogues were still not allowed on Tony’s floor despite the man becoming warmer to them. Wanda still didn’t know how that had happened. It started with Natasha, then Bucky. Surprisingly it was Steve that Tony warmed to next followed by Sam. The billionaire’s interactions with Clint were never overly frosty so Wanda didn’t count him in her mind.

“Boss has given permission for you to come up,” FRIDAY said, surprising Wanda. The elevator across from her opened and Wanda stepped in, confusion bubbling up inside her. The elevator ride was silent and when she arrived, she was surprised to hear laughter coming from Tony’s living room. Wanda followed the noise and stopped in the doorway, stunned by what she was seeing.

Tony was sitting on the lounge and was smiling fondly at Vision and a teenager. Wanda had no idea who the boy was but he must be close to Tony. Vision and the teen appeared to be playing with some kind of toy while Stark occasionally looked up from his STARKPad to see what they were doing.

“Wanda, come in,” Vision said once he noticed her. She watched as the teen looked up from whatever he was building before looking over at Stark. Wanda watched as the two appeared to have a silent conversation with their eyes. When Stark nodded, the teen turned back to her with a welcoming smile.

“I am sorry to interrupt,” Wanda said softly. She didn’t move from the doorway however.

“You’re not,” Vision said. He stood up from the table and approached the woman. He smiled at her kindly and Wanda blushed yet again. “Would you like to join us? Peter and I were building a Lego Star Destroyer from Star Wars.”

“I don’t know what any of those words mean,” Wanda admitted and an almost offended gasp came from ‘Peter’.

“Mr Stark, have you taught this girl nothing?” Peter demanded and when Wanda looked up, expecting Stark to be annoyed at his tone, she noticed the older man rolling his eyes fondly.

“Wanda is a grown woman who can do and watch whatever she wants. I don’t force her to watch anything,” Tony said.

“But still,” the boy said. He jumped to his feet and almost danced over to her. He stuck his hand out and smiled brightly at her. “Hi, I’m Peter.”

“Wanda,” the woman said softly as she shook his hand. Peter looked her in the eye and seemed to make up his mind about something.

“Wanda, do you have any plans today?” at his words, both Wanda and Tony raised an eyebrow.

“Um, no. Clint has gone to visit his family and the others are up at the Compound,” Wanda explained.

“Good,” Peter said with a nod. He then turned and walked over to Stark. The man looked up at him with a fond smirk as the boy stopped in front of him.

“Can I help you, Mr Parker?” Tony said. The billionaire gaped slightly as Peter stuck his hand out.

“I need money. I’m taking Wanda and Vision out for the day,” Peter said but Wanda could tell from his tone that he was teasing Stark. “Since you are Vision’s dad and none of us have any money, you can finance the adventure.”

“Oh, I see how it is. Daddy Warbucks just hands over the money,” Tony teased.

“You don’t need to do that Mr Stark,” Wanda attempted to intervene but Tony shook his head. He pulled out his wallet and handed a card and some bills to Peter.

“Oh no, Peter never asks for anything so I’m taking full advantage of this,” Tony said. Peter grabbed his own wallet from his pocket and put the money and card inside. “You kids have fun. Don’t get arrested.”

Peter surprised Wanda once again by leaning over to hug the man. Tony patted the teen on the back before shooing the three of them out of the penthouse.

“So, where are we going?” Vision asked as he changed his visage to be more human.

“One of the theatres in Queens is running a Star Wars marathon this weekend. All three movies from the original trilogy,” Peter explained as the trio took the elevator down to the garage. Happy was waiting for them (Tony had already alerted him that Peter would need a lift somewhere) and he raised an eyebrow at the procession. “I was going to go tomorrow with my friend Ned but I will just message him and tell him we will go there today.”

Happy opened the car door and Vision, Wanda, and Peter slid in the back. Once Happy was in the front seat, he looked in the rear-view mirror at Peter.

“Where to kid?” Happy asked.

“Ned’s place please. Then the Regal UA Midway please,” Peter explained, his fingers flying across his phone screen. Happy nodded and headed out of the underground car park.

It took 30 minutes for Happy to reach Ned’s place. The other teen was waiting outside his front door and jumped into the backseat with a huge grin.

“Hey Vis,” Ned said as he and Vision completed an intricate handshake. Once Ned and Peter had done a different handshake, Ned turned to Wanda with an excited grin. “Hi Miss Maximoff.”

“Wanda please,” the girl said in reply. “You must be Ned.”

The drive to the cinema was short and when they arrived, Peter told Happy that he would message the man when the movies were over. The group of four walked inside the theatre and Peter walked straight up to the counter.

“Now, what are you going to order?” Ned asked Wanda as they followed Peter.

“I haven’t been to a cinema before,” Wanda admitted, almost sheepishly. Ned gaped slightly before nodding.

“So, we’ll get you one of everything then,” Ned said excitedly. Wanda looked between him and Vision and shrugged. “Peter, Wanda has never been to a cinema before.”

Peter shook his head and proceeded to order 5 large popcorns, 3 large sodas, 3 ice creams and a whole host of different candies. He paid for all of it with Tony’s card and beckoned the others over to help him carry everything.

“Vis doesn’t eat but I think this should cover the rest of us,” Peter said. The group of four gathered up the food and followed Peter down to one of the theatres. After finding their seats, Peter shared the food amongst them. “So Wanda, we are now going to introduce you to the most amazing movie franchise on the planet.”

Wanda took a few pieces of popcorn as Peter began to tell her some of the details of the movies. The boy looked so excited and alive. Wanda hadn’t seen enthusiasm like it since her and Pietro were young.

“If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask,” Peter said as the lights began to lower. Wanda felt Vision’s hand slip into hers as the movie began. She could see the two teens out of the corner of her eye and she could only smile at their infectious excitement.

Wanda watched in awe as the first movie started and soon enough, she was completely engrossed in the story. The movie seemed like it went for only 5 minutes before Han and Luke were being awarded medals by Princess Leia. As the credits rolled, Peter and Ned turned to Wanda excitedly.

“So?” both boys asked in unison.

“How long do we have to wait?” Wanda asked and both boys cheered. Peter then raised an eyebrow at her.

“Who shot first? Han or Greedo?” Peter asked and Wanda raised an eyebrow.

“Han, obviously,” Wanda said and both boys cheered again.

Wanda sat on the edge of her seat for ‘Empire Strikes Back’ and gripped Peter’s hand tightly as Luke and Vader fought. When ‘that’ reveal came, she swore in Sokovian and Peter nodded in understanding. Throughout ‘Return of the Jedi’, Wanda never removed her hand from Peter’s. For some reason, she felt oddly connected to the teen.

“What did you think?” Ned demanded once all three movies were over. The group walked out of the cinema, tossed their garbage and left the theatre.

“I loved them,” Wanda replied and she laughed as Ned and Peter high-fived. “I want to watch the rest now.”

“How about tomorrow?” Peter asked and Wanda looked at him. “We can power through the prequels and then maybe even start the new ones. If you want, I mean.”

“That sounds wonderful _cel mic_ (little one),” Wanda replied. Peter surprised her by pulling her into a tight hug. “Will you join us Ned?”  
  


“Can’t tomorrow. My sister has an all-day dance thing so I will be there. But definitely message me throughout,” Ned said.

Instead of immediately texting Happy, Peter led the group down to McDonalds for dinner. He handed Ned the money and while he and Vision went to order the food, Peter turned to Wanda.

“How are you? Honestly?” Peter asked, surprising Wanda. “I know you’ve been through the ringer lately. I just want to make sure you’re ok.”

“Why are you concerned? For all intents and purposes, I harmed your father,” Wanda said and Peter frowned. “I dropped an entire parking lot’s worth of cars on him.”

“Yeah but Mr Stark is over that,” Peter said. Wanda was confused at how he addressed Stark but Peter powered on before she could ask. “He mentioned that he probably could have handled things a little better. He admitted to me that he probably should have communicated better. Trust me, that is something we have been working on extensively.”

“I have spent most of my life hating Tony Stark,” Wanda said, her honesty surprising her. Peter was looking at her openly, prompting her to continue speaking. “I blamed him for my parent’s death. But now I know that I was wrong. That was all Obadiah’s work, not his. I feel like a silly child.”

“Don’t feel that way. No one besides yourself is blaming you,” Peter’s voice was soft and comforting as he spoke. “Mr Stark knows that in his past he did dumb things. He sold weapons indiscriminately and he knows people have suffered for that. He once told me that he had expected more people from his past to target him.”

“You remind me of my brother,” Wanda said, wiping a tear from her eyes. “He would have liked you.”

“Well I would have liked him. I mean, I like you,” Peter said and Wanda grinned. She ruffled his hair lightly as Ned and Vision returned to the table with their food.

After dinner, Happy arrived to pick them up. He dropped Ned home and on the way to the tower, Peter cuddled up against Wanda’s side.

“Don’t forget, tomorrow morning 10am. FRI will let you up,” Peter said firmly as Wanda and Vision got out of the elevator. Both nodded and Peter waved as the door shut.

The next morning, Wanda and Vision rode up to the penthouse and smiled as they watched Peter build a blanket fort.

“Wanda, got a minute?” Tony’s voice from the kitchen had Wanda turning. She nodded and, after kissing Vision on the cheek, walked over to him. “How are you settling in? Is everything alright?”

“Yes, thank you Mr Stark,” Wanda said softly. Tony rested a hand on her shoulder and Wanda looked up at him.

“Tony. I get enough ‘Mr Stark’ from the brat in there,” Tony said fondly. Peter’s yell of ‘RUDE’ had both Wanda and Tony laughing.

“Tony, thank you. And, I’m sorry. For everything,” Wanda said. Tony squeezed her shoulder gently. “I’m sorry for manipulating your mind. I’m sorry for destroying the Compound. And I’m really sorry for dropping cars on you.”

“Yeah wasn’t a big fan of that last one,” Tony teased and Wanda smiled tearily up at him. He squeezed her shoulder again and smiled at her. “Wanda, apology accepted. And I’m sorry for failing to communicate properly. I sometimes forget to do that.”

“Peter mentioned,” Wanda replied and Tony rolled his eyes.

“That kid. Go on, he’s been up since 5 excited for this,” Tony said, indicating over her shoulder with his chin. “I’ll deliver the snacks.”

Wanda leant up and kissed Tony on the cheek before walking over to Vision and Peter. Both were ensconced in the fort and quickly made room for her.

As Wanda disappeared from view into the fort, Tony turned and walked back into the kitchen. While he finished up the popcorn Peter had requested, he taped a few buttons on his STARKPad. Yet another Avenger had fallen.

**The Peter Factor – 14**

**Avengers and Co - 0**


	14. Scott and Hope

Scott and Hope were the next two to meet Peter and once again, it was because of a missing child. Actually, a few missing children. 

Scott and Hope were sitting at the tower one afternoon watching a movie when his phone started ringing. It was Maggie, Scott’s ex. She was asking whether or not Cassie was with him to which Scott replied she wasn’t (Maggie and Jim having relocated to New York both for Jim’s work and for Scott to still be able to see Cassie with ease). This caused Maggie to let out a cry, the phone then being passed to Jim. 

“Jim, where’s my baby girl?” Scott asked. He could feel Hope coming to stand beside him as he spoke and he desperately grabbed her hand. 

_ “We don’t know Scott,”  _ Jim explained. _“We went to the school to pick Cassie up but the teacher on duty said that someone had already been and gotten her. We thought it may have been you, but obviously not.”_

__

“What can I do?” Scott said. He noticed Hope already had her phone out and was texting someone furiously. 

_ “I don’t know,”  _ Jim said helplessly. Fear shot through Scott as the elevator doors opened and some of the Avengers emerged. Tony, Clint, Cap, and Sam poured out of the elevator and Scott noticed the scared, heartbroken looks on Clint and Tony’s faces and he tensed. 

“Is Cassie missing too?” Clint asked. 

“Hang on Jim,” Scott said down the phone before putting his hand over the receiver. “How do you know? What do you know?” 

“Lila, Cooper, and Peter are missing,” Cap said. Hope approached Tony and Scott watched as his girlfriend looked her old friend in the eye. Something had her gasping and she pulled the other man into a hug. 

“Jim, we may have a lead. Give me ten minutes,” Scott said. When Jim confirmed, he hung up the phone. “Where the hell is my daughter?” 

Scott, Hope, and the others climbed back into the elevator and travelled up to one of the conference rooms. All of the Avengers were currently sitting inside the room watching security footage from traffic cameras. 

“Check the cameras around Cassie Lang’s school,” Tony ordered. Nat began typing diligently and soon, cameras around Cassie’s school appeared on the screen. 

“Clint, what’s happening?” Hope asked. 

“We got a message this afternoon saying that we needed to pay for our actions,” Clint explained angrily. “The message said that we would pay through our children. Then Laura called and said Coop and Lila had never gotten off the bus. Peter wasn’t around for Happy to pick up and his friend said someone else had come and collected him.”

“Who is Peter?” Scott demanded as the Avengers scoured the footage. 

“Tony’s kid,” Clint said softly and Scott gasped. “I know. He’s actually Tony’s intern but their relationship is so much more than that.” 

“Got them,” Nat’s voice interrupted whatever Scott would have said next. She enlarged one of the screens, the one from outside Cassie’s school, and the team watched as a man in black approached Cassie. He spoke to her quickly and she looked ready to run. The man quickly covered her mouth with a rag and the girl soon fell limp. The man lifted the now unconscious girl and carried her to a waiting van, the very image of a man carrying his sleeping child. 

“What else can you find?” Cap asked and Nat pressed a few buttons. The camera zoomed in and the team gasped. Peter was laying in the back of the van Cassie was placed in. His hands and feet were bound and he appeared to be unconscious. Tony let out a savage slew of swears that had Rhodey and Pepper rushing to his side. 

“Any idea who these assholes are?” Bucky asked, his metal hand clenching as he gripped the table. 

“Unclear as yet,” Nat replied. She continued typing on the computers and tracked the van as it moved away from Cassie’s school. She lost the van in a tunnel heading out of Manhattan. 

“We’ll find her,” Clint reassured Scott, probably trying to reassure himself just as much. 

The team scoured security cameras for hours until FRIDAY announced an incoming message. Tony ordered her to put it on the screen and the Avengers all gasped at what they saw. Cooper, Lila, Cassie, and Peter were all tied to chairs in the centre of a dark room. The four kids were in various stages of consciousness, with Peter being the most aware and Cassie still unconscious. 

“So glad you could join us,” a man said as he appeared in the frame. The man obviously thought either the Avengers would never find him or, if they did, he would die anyway as his face was uncovered. Nat began to immediately run facial recognition on him. 

“Why have you taken the kids?” Steve ordered and the man let out an evil chuckle. 

“As I said in my message. You need to pay for what you’ve done,” the man hissed out. “You have caused untold destruction. Everywhere you go you leave a trail of wreckage behind.” 

“We are sorry if that is what has happened to you,” Bruce chimed in and the man let out a hollow cackle. 

“Sorry. Yes, because that fixes everything,” the man said. He stepped out of frame and the team watched as Peter’s eyes widened slightly. “But I know something that will make me feel a little better.” 

“And what’s that?” Tony challenged.

“Knowing that you are feeling the pain I do,” the man said. He returned to frame with a pair of brass knuckles visible on his hand. The team let out anguished cries as he approached the children. “All of us here had to watch our children die because of you so called heroes. You can now feel our pain.” 

Lila was now more alert and had started to cry when she noticed their predicament. The man moved closer to her but stopped as another voice piped up. 

“Leave her alone,” Peter’s voice, while dripping in fear, was firm as he spoke. The camera panned to him and the Avengers noticed he was staring at the man with a steely gaze. 

“What did you say?” the man said and Peter gritted his teeth. 

“Leave the others alone. If you want to hurt anyone, you hurt me. Not them,” Peter demanded, to the horror of all watching. “You take them back to the cell, unharmed. Do that, and you can do whatever you want to me.” 

“How brave,” the man said sarcastically. The man looked off camera and nodded. The camera panned back to the other kids and the team watched as the three kids were untied from their chairs. Lila broke out of her captor’s grasp and raced to Peter. 

“No Peter,” Lila could be heard sobbing. The team had tears in their eyes as they heard Peter’s response. 

“I’ll be alright Lila,” Peter was trying to provide comfort but the team could hear how scared he was. “Go with Coop and Cassie. I’ll be ok.” 

The Avengers could hear screams of protest from Cooper and Lila as the three remaining kids were dragged from the room. Peter looked up at their main captor and steeled his gaze. The man smirked down at him before turning back to the camera. 

“Imagine our surprise when we realised that not only did Ant-Man and Hawkeye have kids, but so did Iron Man. The infamous playboy Tony Stark with a child,” the man taunted as he moved to stand behind Peter. He rested his hands firmly on the boy’s shoulders and the Avengers watched as Peter tensed. “It made it all the more fun when we found him. Now we can not only get revenge on the Avengers, but also on the so called ‘Merchant of Death’. Quite the moniker Stark.” 

“Don’t call him that,” Peter said and the man frowned. He looked down at the teen and grabbed him by the chin. 

“What did you say?” the man hissed. 

“Don’t call him the Merchant of Death,” Peter replied defiantly. The man moved to stand in front of the teen and with a sharp intake of breath, raised his hand and backhanded Peter across the face. Peter didn’t make a sound but he did take a few deep breaths once the blow had landed. “He is a better man than you’ll ever be.” 

Once Peter had righted himself in the chair, the man pulled back his fist. Tony let out a cry as the fist with the brass knuckles collided with the teen’s face. 

“Zip it brat,” the guy hissed. Peter shook his head slightly before spitting a mouthful of blood at the guy. The man looked unamused as the blood splattered onto his shoe. “Charming. Simply charming.” 

The team could only watch in horror as the man started laying in to Peter with his fists. Bucky was swearing in Russian and throwing furniture, Nat was typing furiously on the computer while also ranting in Russian, Pepper had tears streaming down her face while Tony stared blankly at the floor. Bruce and Rhodey where attempting to comfort Tony and Pepper while Steve attempted to calm Bucky but it was to no avail. 

“Nat, please tell me you’ve got something,” Clint asked, feeling helpless as he watched the kid on the screen get pummelled. To Scott’s surprise, the teen was still conscious. Normally blows to the face like the ones he had received would knock a person out but not this kid. 

“She won’t find us,” the man beating Peter stopped to stare at the camera. He was sweaty and a look at his hands showed they were covered in Peter’s blood. He nodded to someone off camera and the barely conscious teen was lifted from his seat and dragged out of the camera shot. “We just wanted to give you one final chance to see your kids. You will never see them alive again. Enjoy your pain, Avengers. We certainly will.” 

The camera feed cut out, and only then did Tony let out a scream of anguish. Scott, not caring for the projectiles Tony was throwing, walked over to the other man and grabbed his shoulders. 

“This won’t help our kids,” Scott hissed firmly as Tony tried to struggle against him. “We will find them. All of them. And when we do, you and I are gunna kill whoever did this. No one messes with our kids.” 

Tony nodded and Scott surprisingly pulled the other man into a hug. Clint joined them and the Avengers watched as the three dads sought comfort from one another. 

It took two days. Two days of diligent searching by Stark’s AI and all the Avengers. They traced all possible leads and kept coming up blank. 

On the third day, a Saturday, Scott walked into the common room to find Tony sitting beside a sobbing brunette and two teenagers. 

“Scott, this is May, Peter’s aunt and his friends, Ned and MJ,” Tony introduced softly. The woman attempted to compose herself as she looked up at Scott but the hero knew she was struggling. He sat down beside her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. 

“Our kids will be fine,” Scott said, his tone and words setting May off again. “Peter is strong. He will be alright.” 

“Tony was just about to show me the footage,” May said hoarsely. She then turned to the two teenagers. “I’ve been trying to convince this pair to leave but they are stubborn.” 

“We are Peter’s friends. We have to be stubborn,” the girl, MJ, replied and May let out a watery laugh. Ned nodded in agreement as he looked over at Scott. 

“If you’re ready?” Tony said. When all three nodded, Tony ordered FRIDAY to project the footage onto the wall. Scott tightened his grip on the woman as Cassie appeared on the screen and May rested her hand on his. 

“Wait,” Ned cried just as the man struck Peter for the first time. Tony paused the footage and Scott was expecting to see tears on the kid’s face. Instead, he had a focused look of determination. “FRIDAY, rewind the footage. 30 seconds.” 

“What can you see Ned?” MJ asked as she moved from her perch on the arm of the chair to sit beside the other kid. 

“FRIDAY, play it again but slow it down,” Ned ordered. As FRIDAY did as requested, the boy stood and approached the wall. “Pause. Zoom in on his right hand. Now rewind and play again.” 

“Ned?” May asked and Ned let out a triumphant yell. 

“New Jersey,” he cried, to the shock of everyone. He then pointed to where Peter’s hand was making tiny movements. “They are in New Jersey.” 

“How can you tell?” Tony and Scott asked at the same time. 

“He’s using the code we developed,” Ned explained. “We made it when we were in middle school. One of our teachers separated us cause apparently, we talked too much. We devised a form of sign language to still be able to communicate across the room. It had to be less obvious than normal sign so we could hide it. We use it now if Pete is having a sensory overload and talking hurts.” 

“So, he’s telling you they are in New Jersey?” MJ asked as Tony pulled out his phone and called for the Avengers. May was now clutching Scott’s hand in anticipation. 

“Yep,” Ned said, turning back to the wall. FRIDAY rewound the footage and Ned pointed at Peter’s hand. “New Jersey. Warehouses. Fish. 17 guys.” 

“A warehouse by the water,” MJ commented and Ned nodded. The Avengers emerged from the elevator and stared at the group. The girl turned to them and Scott had to admire the look on her face. It was a mix between anger and fierce determination. “They are being held in New Jersey. In a warehouse by the water. There’s 17 of them.”

“Got it. Avengers, suit up. We leave in 5,” Cap ordered. The team nodded and dispersed. May squeezed Scott’s hand and he smiled comfortingly at the woman. 

“Go get our kids,” she said and Scott nodded. He walked down to his room where the suit was kept and got changed. 

Five minutes later, the Avengers were all assembled by the Quinjet. May and the two teens were standing with Laura, Maggie, Jim, and Pepper. 

“Go get our baby girl,” Maggie whispered as she hugged Scott. Scott nodded at his ex and joined the team on the jet. 

“Now that Ned was able to narrow down our search, we think we found them,” Nat commented as the team got settled. Clint was piloting the jet as they flew towards New Jersey. “We found a supposedly abandoned warehouse that has been showing significant energy readings for the last week and a half. We tracked security and traffic cameras and found the van that had been used to take Pete and Cassie. We followed it to that same warehouse.”

“We also have footage from a neighbouring warehouse that shows Lila and Cooper being carried in as well,” Sam added. The team nodded and started to prepare themselves for the fight they knew was coming. 15 minutes later, they landed at Fort Dix army base. The Avengers climbed out of the jet and climbed into the cars Tony had requested. Soon enough, they were converging on the abandoned warehouse identified by Natasha. 

“Scott, you, Sam and Clint will find the kids,” Cap ordered as the team gathered outside the warehouse. “Tony, you, Rhodey, Vision, and Hope take the top floors and work your way down. Nat, Bucky, Wanda, and I will enter through the front here. Bruce, you hang here, Peter will need medical. Alright, lets get the kids back.” 

The flyers took off from the ground headed for the top floor while Bucky took up point at the door. On Steve’s count, Bucky kicked the door open and stormed in. Sam, Clint and Scott broke away from the group as soon as they had entered and began clearing rooms looking for the kids. Scott could hear yelling and bullets flying as he searched but he knew the Avengers would be fine. His main priority was the kids. 

“Nothing here,” Sam commented as they cleared the last room. Scott refused to believe the kids had been moved. He looked out the window and took off running. “SCOTT?” 

“Cellar. Outside,” Scott called as they ran. They came upon a padlocked cellar and Scott instantly shrunk himself. He climbed into the lock and after some fiddling, the lock opened. When he was large again, Clint and Sam counted down before pulling the doors opened. No one emerged so Sam took point as they climbed into the cellar. 

“Shit,” Sam murmured and Scott could only agree. 

Peter was crouched in front of a cowering Cooper, Lila, and Cassie. He was covered in blood and bruises and from the way he was holding himself, he probably had a number of cracked or broken ribs. He attempted to straighten up once he realised who had entered but he could only gasp. The three adults raced over as the injured teen dropped to the ground and passed out. 

“Cassie,” Scott cried. His daughter let out a sob and launched herself into his arms. He pressed kisses to her head as she cried into his shoulder. One look showed him that Clint was doing the same to his kids while Sam was placing Peter in the recovery position. 

“Daddy,” Cassie sobbed and Scott attempted to soothe her. “Peter saved us.” 

“I know baby. I know,” Scott whispered. He raised his hand to his comms and placed the call. “Guys, we’ve got the kids. But Peter needs medical. He’s unconscious.” 

_ “Location?”  _ Cap barked out firmly. 

“Cellar outside. Cap, we need a stretcher,” Sam commented. The sound of repulsors was soon heard and Tony came racing down the cellar. He dropped to his knees beside his kid and ran a hand over his hair. 

“I’m here Pete. It’s all ok now,” Scott could hear Tony speaking softly to the kid as he ran his hand over Peter’s head. The other Avengers entered the cellar, Natasha and Bruce bringing up the rear with the medical kits and stretcher. Bruce raced to the teen while Nat approached the Barton children. Hope walked over to Scott and Cassie and Scott pulled her into the hug. 

“Baby, how many times did they hit Peter?” Scott asked his daughter, who was looking over at the unconscious teenager in fear. 

“They took him out of here a couple of times a day,” Cassie explained. “They wanted to take one of us but Peter never let them. He’ll be ok, won’t he daddy?” 

“Of course he will baby,” Scott whispered, kissing his daughter on the head again. Bruce was looking over Peter’s wounds, his face grim. 

“Ok, lets get him on the stretcher. Bucky, Steve, Sam, Tony, you’ll need to carry Peter out of here,” Bruce said. He then turned to Wanda. “Wanda, will you be able to keep him asleep. The last thing we want is for him to wake up during transport.” 

After a confirming nod from Tony, Wanda waved her hand over Peter’s had. Red tendrils flowed from her hands and into Peter’s mind. Once the boy was secured on the stretcher, the Avengers stood and climbed out of the cellar. The group moved quickly to the cars and drove away from the warehouse. Once they had boarded the Quinjet, Bruce alerted Dr Cho to their situation and Vision flew the jet back to New York. 

When the jet arrived, Cho and her team quickly took Peter off to the medbay, Tony following close behind. Scott still hadn’t relinquished his hold on Cassie and instead, he and Clint walked with their kids back to the Avengers’ common room. Laura and Maggie jumped to their feet when they entered and the kids were instantly wrapped in their mothers’ arms. 

Clint and Scott tried to deposit the kids with their mothers so they could check on Peter but the kids were having none of it. 

“No Dad,” Cooper demanded as Clint tried to leave. “You take us with you to Peter or I swear, the tantrum I throw will make one of Nate’s look like a tea party.” 

“He gets it from you,” Laura teased and Clint rolled his eyes. The large group made their way to the medbay where May, Ned, MJ, and the Avengers were all waiting. 

“Any word?” Clint asked the group who all shook their heads. 

“Cho took him straight into surgery. His healing doesn’t seem to be working,” Bruce explained as the new arrivals sat down. 

“He hasn’t eaten,” Lila commented softly from her spot curled into Clint’s side. The Avengers all turned to the girl, dread growing in them. “They only fed us once a day. Peter refused to eat any of the food. He made us take it.”

“He has super metabolism,” Ned said in horror, the group now turning to him. Bruce stood quickly and raced into the room where Cho was working on Peter. “It’s why MJ and I bring an extra lunch each for him. Peter and I once sat down to work out all his powers and he told me he has a super metabolism. I’ve seen him demolish 5 large pizzas to himself and still have room for dessert.” 

“My baby has been starving himself?” May whispered and Scott leant over to take her hand. Ned and MJ both looked at the woman and MJ smiled sadly. 

“He didn’t want you to worry,” MJ said softly. May looked at the girl with a frown. “Peter mentioned that he felt bad already for making you pay for things. He wasn’t going to add an increased grocery bill to that list. We told him he was being stupid but he is stubborn.” 

“When he gets out of surgery, we are going to have a long discussion,” May said firmly and Scott was actually scared for the teen. 

“Count me in,” Tony spoke for the first time and May nodded. “No more hiding. He will tell me the extent of his powers or I’m taking his suit again.” 

“Ok, back up,” Scott said. Tony looked up at him and nodded. “Powers? Suit? I’m confused.” 

“Peter is Spider-Man. It’s how he and I first met,” Tony explained and Clint choked slightly. Tony turned to the archer and continued. “Don’t yell. Don’t start. I know, I was an idiot to take him with me to Germany. But I was desperate. May and Pepper have already ripped me a new one because of it.” 

“I did. I grounded Pete from Tony for two weeks which nearly killed the both of them,” May said, almost fondly. “We now have a strict set of rules regarding his Spider-Man adventures. Rules that both Tony AND Peter follow.” 

The Avengers fell silent after that admission as they waited for news from Helen. During their waiting, Happy arrived carrying multiple bags of McDonalds food. The 5 kids were handed the bags and the Barton children and Cassie dove in eagerly. 

4 hours passed before Dr Cho emerged from the operating room. The group all jumped up and Cho held up a hand to stop their onslaught of questions. 

“He will be alright,” the group breathed a sigh of relief at her words. “He had some significant internal bleeding, 9 broken ribs, 4 cracked ribs, a fractured cheekbone, a fractured scapula and broken nose.”

“Shit,” Rhodey hissed and the others nodded. 

“But once Bruce advised us of his healing factor and his need for food, we hooked him up to various IVs full of nutrients. Once we started him on those, the breaks and fractures started healing by themselves,” Helen explained. “He will need to stay in bed for a few more days but I predict that he will be completely healed by Wednesday.” 

“Thanks Helen,” Tony said softly. 

“He’s in his own room now. You can see him, but only a few at a time,” Helen explained. Tony, May, Ned, MJ, and Pepper were the first small group to enter. 

When Scott, Cassie, and Hope were allowed in, Tony was the only one still in the room. The other man had sent May and the teens to bed while telling them that he would watch over their Spider-Teen. Peter was awake but Scott could tell he was still groggy. 

“Hi Petey,” Cassie said as Scott lifted her. She sat near the boy’s hand on the bed and took it in hers. The teen smiled at the girl despite his pain and squeezed her hand. “Thank you for saving me.” 

“Anytime Cass. Anytime,” Peter’s voice was hoarse and Tony rolled his eyes at the words. “Shut it old man.”

“Make me, Spider-Brat,” Tony said fondly. 

“Peter, I can never thank you enough for protecting my baby,” Scott said and Peter turned his attention to the man. “I wish you hadn’t been hurt but thank you.” 

“I wasn’t going to let them hurt any of the kids,” Peter said as Cassie squeezed his hand again. “So, there’s no need to thank me.” 

“You are very brave,” Hope commented and Peter blushed slightly. “Stupid, but brave. I wonder where you get that from?” 

“Alright van Dyne. Zip it,” Tony said and Hope just laughed. 

“We’ll let you rest,” Scott said and Cassie frowned before leaning up to give Peter a kiss on the cheek. After helping his daughter off the bed, Scott grabbed Peter’s hand. “Get better soon Bug Bro.”

“See ya, Bug Bro,” Peter said with a huge Cheshire grin on his face. Hope, Scott, and Cassie left the room and once outside, Scott lifted Cassie into his arms. 

“Sorry daddy,” Cassie said as she burrowed into his neck. “Spider-Man is my favourite superhero now.” 

“That’s alright bub,” Scott said as Hope took his hand in hers. “He’s mine too.” 

“And mine,” Hope added as they walked. 

Inside Peter’s room, Tony smirked as he added another two Avengers to the victim count. 

** The Peter Factor – 16 **

****

** Avengers and Co – 0  **

****


	15. Valkyrie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Surely an Asgardian Warrior can resist the Peter Factor. Surely.

A roar of pure fury, followed by a loud crashing sound, had Brunnhilde dropping the planks of wood she had been carrying. She raced up to the cabin assigned to Thor and Loki and burst through the door, her sword at the ready. Inside, Loki was practically vibrating from anger while Thor was panting and standing over a fallen bookshelf.

“Norns, what the hell happened here?” Valkyrie demanded as she took in the scene. Her king and the prince were both beyond angry, but she couldn’t see an immediate threat.

“I am going brother, nothing can stop me,” Loki hissed before a portal opened and he stepped through. Thor looked as though he wanted to follow his brother, but he restrained himself.

“Thor. What the hell?” Val demanded and Thor finally noticed her.

“Forgive us for the confusion,” Thor said but Val could tell he was still seething. “Peter was taken and wounded.”

“Peter? Oh, Stark’s kid,” Val commented, and Thor nodded. “Is he ok?”

“Tony explained that Peter and some other children had been kidnapped and they have just brought them home,” Thor hissed out angrily. “But Peter was injured. Those things, I will not call them men, harmed a child.”

“Ok, calm down,” Valkyrie said as she looked at her king. The god turned to her and Valkyrie raised an eyebrow at the look on his face. “Don’t give me that look. The boy is home now. He is safe. I assume that is where Loki has gone.”

“Yes. We will probably be hearing from Stark sooner rather than later,” Thor replied, his face now looking fond. His face darkened again, and he looked Brunnhilde in the eye. “I want their heads.”

“Right now, my king, your people need you,” Valkyrie wasn’t used to being the voice of reason, but she knew that she needed to be now. “Young Peter will be alright. He is surrounded by Avengers and his father. No one else will harm him.”

“Perhaps I can persuade Stark to bring him here,” Thor said, and Valkyrie raised an eyebrow. “He would get along well with Korg and Miek.”

“Korg could make friends with anyone,” Valkyrie commented with a laugh and Thor nodded. “Now, may I distract my king by asking him to help me with moving the building materials please.”

Valkyrie kept Thor distracted for the rest of the afternoon with several menial tasks surrounding the construction of their new settlement. The builders Stark had contracted had been working tirelessly and nearly all the buildings were completed. The only thing remaining was a hall and a training space for the warriors.

As night fell, Valkyrie and Thor made their way back to Thor and Loki’s lodgings. When they opened the door, Thor let out a soft stream of Asgardian curse words. There, bundled up on the couch in blankets and tucked under Loki’s arm was Peter Parker. Korg and Miek were playing videogames on the television while Loki and the teen watched.

“Hi Mr God Thor sir,” Peter said once he noticed the newcomers. Loki looked over at the two and purposefully cuddled Peter into his side more. “And hi Miss Valkyrie ma’am.”

“What is he doing here?” Valkyrie asked as Thor crossed the room and knelt in front of the lounge. Brunnhilde watched as her king cupped their child’s face in his hands and growled.

“Are you ok?” Thor asked before Peter or Loki could answer. Peter nodded and smiled softly at Thor.

“Loki, what is he doing here?” Valkyrie asked again, more firmly this time. Thor looked up at his brother and raised an eyebrow.

“My spider child,” Loki said petulantly. He tightened his grip on Peter and Brunnhilde raised an eyebrow as the prince nuzzled the boy’s head.

“Stark will kill you,” Thor commented, and Valkyrie nodded as she approached. “You can’t just kidnap his child.”

“It’s not kidnapping if I go willingly,” Peter piped up and while Loki smirked, Valkyrie looked down at the teen with a frown. “Besides, we left a note. Mr Stark will be fine.”

Thor and Brunnhilde shared a look and both shook their heads. Before anyone in the room could say a word, the computer Stark had gifted Thor with started beeping. Thor picked up the device and handed it to Peter (laptop lessons had not been given yet and Thor didn’t want to break the device). Peter pushed a few buttons and a frantic looking Tony Stark filled the screen.

_“PETER! Oh, thank God,”_ Stark said. More voices could be heard, and a woman’s face could be seen joining Tony’s on the screen. _“Where the hell are you? We left to get lunch and you were gone!”_

“I’m alright, Mr Stark, Aunt May. Promise,” Peter said. He handed the computer to Thor who put it on the table. Stark could now see the room and a loud groan could be heard. “I’m with Mr Thor, Mr Loki, Miss Valkyrie, Miss Miek, and Mr Korg. This place is so cool. Well, what I’ve seen anyway. And Mr Korg is made of rocks! How cool is that?”

_“TELL ME MY NEPHEW ISN’T IN NORWAY!”_ the woman beside Tony practically screeched and Peter winced. _“PETER BENJAMIN PARKER!”_

“It was not his fault ma’am,” Valkyrie commented, and the woman turned her gaze to Val. “The prince appropriated him.”

_“DUDE?”_ another boy, about Peter’s age appeared and Peter smiled brightly. _“You’re with Thor and Loki? Why does everything cool happen to you?”_

_“Ned, this isn’t cool. Peter is injured and needs to be in a hospital bed,”_ the woman said almost fondly, and Loki scoffed. When she glared at him, Loki shrunk back slightly.

_“Loki bring the Spider-Brat back. Now,”_ Tony demanded. Loki hissed at him and cuddled Peter in tighter against him.

“He is my spider child,” Loki hissed out and Valkyrie looked at Peter. The boy in question was blushing heavily but looked comfortable wrapped up in Loki’s arms. If anyone had told her that the asshole Prince of Asgard would one day be protectively curled around a Midgardian child, Val would have demanded they share their stash because the shit they were drinking had to be good. “I will take care of him and I might return him once he is healthy.”

“I do have school, Mr Loki,” Peter attempted to protest but Loki brushed off his comments.

“You are smarter than those pathetic Midgardians,” Loki said dismissively.

_“Loki, Peter needs proper medical attention,”_ the new voice came from Bruce who was looking through the camera now in exasperation.

“I will look after him,” Loki said firmly. He then ended the conversation by burying his face into Peter’s curls and ignoring the screen. Bruce let out a sigh but smiled at Valkyrie.

_“Hey Val,”_ Bruce said, and Val waved. _“Look, just make sure Peter doesn’t exert himself. Despite his healing factor, he has quite a few broken bones and internal wounds. He has an increased metabolism so based on my preliminary calculations, he needs between 15,000 and 20,000 calories per day. That means he needs three large meals with proteins and fats and then snacks throughout the day.”_

“Surely I don’t need that much,” Peter piped in from where he was laying. If anyone were to ask Val, she would say the situation might be viewed as adorable. Peter was cuddled into Loki’s side with the blankets around him and for most of the time, his curls were the only part of him that was visible. Loki had his arms wrapped tightly around the bundle of teenager and had his nose nuzzled into the boy’s hair.

_“You do and you will be having that,”_ Tony commented, and May nodded. _“When Reindeer Games finally releases you, we will be discussing your powers and why you felt it necessary to hide from us that you’ve been practically starving yourself. Don’t argue with me. The discussion will be happening.”_

“Yes Mr Stark,” Peter grumbled sleepily before he nuzzled into his blanket and Loki more.

The call soon ended (after a few more well-placed threats by both May and Tony) and when Thor shut the laptop, both he and Valkyrie looked at one another.

“So, we have a new guest for a few days,” Val commented, and Thor nodded. “You certainly have interesting friends, my king.”

Over the next two days, Peter never left Loki and Thor’s home. To be honest, he never really left Loki’s side unless it was to wash or use the toilet (even then, Loki would wait outside the door for him). On the third day, Valkyrie was visiting with her Pegasus when she heard a soft, excited voice behind her.

“No way,” Peter’s voice was thick with awe as he gazed at the creature. Aragorn looked at the new arrival and snorted slightly. Peter moved closer and came to a halt beside Brunnhilde. “A Pegasus. I thought they were myths.”

“Not myths, just not known on Midgard,” Val commented, and Peter looked up at her with wide eyes. “His name is Aragorn.”

“He’s so handsome,” Peter said softly. “May I pet him?”

“That’s up to him,” Val said with a fond smirk. Aragorn could be temperamental, just like his rider. Val rubbed the Pegasus’ neck gently as the boy moved closer to the paddock fence.

“Hi Aragorn,” Peter said softly. The beast looked down at him and snorted in his direction. “May I pet you?”  
  


Brunnhilde watched as her stead sniffed the boy’s outstretched hand before nudging it with his muzzle. Peter moved the hand up is nose and rubbed gently between Aragorn’s eyes. The Pegasus snorted again, this time right in Peter’s face, and the teen giggled. Aragorn hooked his head over Peter’s shoulder and pulled him into his chest, looking as though he was embracing the teen.

“Funny powers you have there, kid,” Val commented with a laugh as Peter scratched behind Aragorn’s ears. When Peter looked at her with a confused look, she continued. “Aragorn generally dislikes men. It’s why he was chosen as a Valkyrie mount. You seem to have an interesting power to win over beasts. I mean, you won over Loki.”

“Mr Loki is fun,” Peter commented, and Valkyrie let loose a great belly laugh. “He’s been showing me magic and telling me stories about pranking Mr Thor.”

“Can we keep you, child? I haven’t laughed this hard since I was with my sisters,” Val commented. At the memories of her sisters, her laughter ceased. Peter turned sharply at the sudden change in demeanour and looked at her in concern. “Norns, I need a drink.”

“Could you tell me about the Valkyries?” Peter’s voice was gentle, caring even. Brunnhilde looked at him and could only frown as the boy looked up at her with eager eyes. His hand was still scratching behind Aragorn’s ears and the Pegasus had never looked more content. “I only know what I’ve read about them in school sometimes.”

“They tell stories of us?” Val asked and Peter nodded excitedly. “What do they say?”

“Well, from what I can remember, a Valkyrie was one of Odin’s helpers. The stories I read say that they were elegant, noble ladies who helped dead warriors get to Valhalla. But I mean, I could be wrong,” Peter commented, and Val started laughing again. “I think another story said that the Valkyrie chose who lived and who died in a battle. I remember something called _einherjar,_ but I don’t remember what that means.”

“That first story is so basic,” Val cackled. “It makes us sound like weeping maidens. We were anything but. Well, Eir and Skuld probably fit that description. They never enjoyed the battle as much as the rest of us.”

“Please tell me more,” Peter pleaded, and Val looked down at him. The boy was looking up at her with eager eyes and Val felt her cold heart melting. She opened the gate so that they could enter Aragorn’s pasture and she sat down on the grass. Peter sat down across from her and Val was surprised when Aragorn knelt down and made himself comfortable behind the boy. Peter cuddled back into the Pegasus’ warm body and nodded for Val to speak.

And she did. Brunnhilde spoke for the first time in centuries of her sisters and their many battles. She spoke fondly of Kára’s battle against the Prince of Alfheim when he tried to force her into marriage. She laughed her way through a story of when Hildr and Ölrún had participated in a drinking contest with some of the Asgardian warriors and had won with ease.

“You look happy when you talk about them,” Peter commented, and Val looked at him. The boy was half asleep against Aragorn as he listened to her but was now looking at her with a childlike innocence she hadn’t seen in a long time. “You must miss them terribly.”

“The were my sisters,” Val commented. “We were warrior kin, sworn to protect Asgard. We all knew that death was a risk, one we were willing to pay for our King and our people, but I never expected to lose all of them at once.”

Before Val could say another word, Peter crawled over to her and took her hand. He pulled her until they were both sitting against Aragorn and he held her hand tightly. He flipped her arm and traced over her tattoo.

“But they are always with you,” Peter murmured as he traced her tattoo. “You can tell their stories and that way, no one will ever forget them.”

“You are too pure for this world _Lille venn_ (little one),” Val said as she gave in to impulse and pressed a kiss to the teen’s head. “Now, did I tell you about the time Odin sent us to Muspelheim to fight the Fire Demons?”

Peter stayed curled against Val’s side as she spoke, and soon enough the teen fell asleep. Brunnhilde stood and carefully lifted the sleeping teen into her arms. She awkwardly closed the gate behind her as she left Aragorn’s pasture and returned to Thor and Loki’s home.

“So that’s where he got to,” Thor commented as Val walked in with the sleeping teen. He led her down a hallway to the room he had been using. “Loki went to help with the organisation of the library but when I went to check in on Peter, he was gone. Korg mentioned he saw him walking towards the pastures, so I didn’t worry too much.”

“Are you sure we can’t keep this one?” Val asked as Thor pulled back the blankets on the bed and Val placed Peter down.

“So, he got to you too,” Thor said fondly, and the warrior rolled her eyes.

“Nah, he just breaks up the monotony. Don’t read to into it,” Val commented flippantly but Thor could see through her.

It was Wednesday afternoon when a Quinjet landed in the open area of land just outside the Asgardian settlement. Bruce, Tony, and Natasha all disembarked from the jet and walked into the village.

“Welcome friends,” Thor boomed as he stood in the doorway of his home. He wrapped each on in a hug before inviting them in. “This is Korg, and Miek. Friends, these are the Avengers. Lady Natasha, and Master Stark, and you all know Bruce.”

“Nice to meet you,” Natasha said before rounding on Thor. “Where is my _ребенок паук_ (baby spider)?”

“Ah, I believe he is in the pasture with Val and Loki. Come, I’ll take you there,” Thor said. The small group followed Thor outside and down to a large paddock. Loki was leaning on a fence beside a woman, but Peter wasn’t anywhere in sight. “Brother, Brunnhilde, where is our young guest?”

Both Valkyrie and Loki turned with smirks on their faces. The Avengers exchanged a glance and Tony was wondering whether he should have brought Pepper and May on this retrieval mission.

“He’ll be back momentarily,” Loki commented before turning back to the empty paddock.

The Avengers looked up at the beating of wings and Tony nearly fainted. There was his Spider-Child sitting on the back of a flying horse. A fast-moving flying horse. A flying horse with no saddle, bridle, or other tack.

“What the fuck?” was all that Tony could say.

“He has been helping me care for Aragorn for the last few days. I promised that when he was healthy again, he could ride him,” Val replied with a smirk. The Pegasus landed in the paddock and trotted happily over to the group. “Did you have fun _Lille venn_ (little one)?”  
  


“SO MUCH FUN!” Peter bellowed excitedly. He was rubbing Aragorn’s neck vigorously and the Pegasus appeared to be enjoying it. Peter then noticed the newcomers and his smile widened. “Oh, everyone. Mr Stark, did you see? I’m on a Pegasus!”

“You are,” Tony said fondly. “But for the sake of my heart, please get off. You were technically bedridden only a few days ago.”

“Ok, but I’m all healed now,” Peter said as he jumped off Aragorn’s back. “Mr Thunder Thor has been making sure I stick to the diet and Mr Mischief Loki has been helping out my healing with magic. I feel better than ever.”

Peter attempted to walk out of the paddock, but Aragorn hooked his head over the boy’s shoulder and pulled him back. Peter laughed as the Pegasus nuzzled his cheek and the teen pressed a kiss to the beast’s muzzle.

“I’ve gotta go. But I’ll come back and visit soon. Promise,” Peter murmured. When he walked away again, the Pegasus let him go. He left the paddock and walked over to the Avengers where Natasha grabbed him in a hug before Tony had the chance.

“We should get going,” Tony commented as Peter nuzzled into his chest. “There is an angry aunt, an angry best friend and an excited best friend waiting for you in New York.”

Peter pulled away from Tony and walked over to Thor. Valkyrie watched as the boy hugged both the King and the Prince tightly (Loki also slipping a small dagger in the back of the boy’s pants during their hug) before Peter walked over to her.

“See ya kid,” Val said, trying to brush off any sappy goodbyes. But Peter wasn’t having that. The teen burst forward and wrapped his arms around her. Instinctively, Val’s arms wrapped around the teen and she hugged him tightly. “ _Trygge reiser, lille. Måtte gudene holde deg trygg_ (Safe travels, little one. May the Gods keep you safe).

“Bye Brunnhilde,” Peter murmured. He had managed to weasel her name out of her during one of her story times and now he was the only one to use it constantly. “Thank you for everything.”

“When you return,” Val said with a smirk as they pulled apart and he walked back over to Stark. “I will make sure we have your own stead ready for you.”

“On that note,” Tony said despite Peter’s excitement. The billionaire led the excited teen over to the Quinjet. He could be heard chastising the boy the whole way. “No Peter. You can’t bring a Pegasus back to New York. There is nowhere for it.”

Natasha and Bruce followed the pair and as Natasha directed the Quinjet into the air, the trio of Asgardians watched thee Midgardians go with fond smiles.

Peter had been excitedly telling Tony and Bruce about his time in Norway, but he soon drifted off to sleep against his mentor. Once Tony knew he was completely out, the older man pulled out his STARKPad. He now had another person to add to the list, and Peter had yet another protector.

**The Peter Factor – 17**

**The Avengers and Co – 0**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today’s fun fact:  
> Valkyrie’s Pegasus in Endgame was named Aragorn which made me so happy haha
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this addition :)


	16. Dr Strange + Wong (aka Sorcerer Supreme and Beyonce)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... I'm sorry it has taken a while. My muse just wasn't playing nice. But I hope this makes up for it - I will be posting 2 chapters today!   
> Hope you all enjoy

“Welcome Stephen,” Pepper Potts greeted the Sorcerer Supreme as he portalled into Stark Tower. He had been called by the Avengers to assist them with a group of rogue sorcerers who had previously been expelled from the Sanctum. “Thank you for coming on such short notice.” 

“This is a problem requiring the utmost speed. No thanks required,” Stephen replied, and Pepper smiled. “Where is the Tech Head?”   
  
“He should be down in his lab. FRIDAY can direct you,” Pepper explained, and Stephen nodded. The man climbed into the elevator and FRIDAY took him straight to the lab. When he arrived however, it was not Stark he saw. 

A teenager was sitting at one of the work benches. Stark’s two robots were hovering around him and the boy appeared to be attempting to bat them away. The door to the lab opened but the boy didn’t register Stephen’s presence. 

“Go away DUM-E. I have work to do,” the boy’s voice was soft, and it sounded pained. The bot to the boy’s left chirped almost unhappily as it tried to grab the screwdriver from his hand. “DUME-E, we can play later.” 

The boy continued to work while the bots harassed him. Eventually, DUM-E managed to take the screwdriver away from the boy and the teen let out a whimper of protest. He made to chase after the bot when the boy’s eyes rolled back in his head and he fell towards the ground. He would have struck hard had it not been for Stephen’s Cloak flying off the sorcerer’s shoulders and wrapping tightly around the boy. 

“Put him on the couch,” Stephen ordered softly. and the Cloak moved swiftly over to the piece of furniture. Before Stephen could say anything else, the lab doors opened, and a flustered Tony Stark walked in. 

“Sorry Dumbledore. I meant to be here to meet you, but it seems my intern has gone miss-” Tony’s voice trailed off as he took in the scene in front of him. “Well, he was missing.” 

“Boss, Mr Parker appeared here not long after you got the call from Dr Cho,” FRIDAY informed Tony who rolled his eyes fondly. “The bots have been trying to stop Peter from working. DUM-E managed to get his screwdriver, but Peter passed out before he could retrieve it.” 

“Vitals?” Tony asked softly as he approached the couch. 

“His fever has reduced slightly. Its currently sitting at 103°F,” FRIDAY explained. “Peter’s healing factor is starting to kick in, so he appears to be getting better. Right now, he needs rest and fluids. Should I have Dr Cho come down with an IV bag?” 

“Yeah let’s do that. I’ll keep him in here so I can make sure he stays still,” Tony said before turning to Stephen. “Is your friend going to let him go?” 

Stephen looked at the Cloak and the garment waved a section of it in a way that Stephen took to be a negative. Stephen turned back to Tony and shook his head, causing the other man to roll his eyes once again. 

“Loyal piece of outerwear you’ve got there,” Tony said, and Stephen shrugged. The billionaire waved his hand for Stephen to follow him and they sat at a desk in the corner of the lab, Tony keeping one eye on the sleeping teenager. Dr Cho arrived and nodded at Tony before approaching Peter, IV bag and stand in hand. The Cloak parted slightly so that Cho could get at the boy’s arm before wrapping around him once the doctor was finished. 

“I’ll come and check on him in a few hours,” Cho whispered, and Tony nodded. once the doctor had left, the two men turned to one another. 

“So, what have you got for me?” Tony asked as he tapped on a STARKPad. 

For the next four hours, Stephen and Tony discussed their various information, all while keeping an eye on the sleeping teenager. The Cloak of Levitation never unwrapped from the boy, even going so far as to pat his hair when Peter would moan in his sleep. 

“Ok Stark, he can head to his own bed now,” Dr Cho had returned and was removing the IV from Peter’s arm. “He’s taken in all these fluids and his fever has dropped again. Bring him back to the medbay if his fever rises but I think he’s out of the woods now. 

“Thanks Doc,” Tony replied. Dr Cho nodded before leaving the lab. Tony and Stephen approached the sleeping teen and Stephen noticed the smile on Tony’s face. “Suppose I should get him up to bed.” 

The Cloak raised itself and Peter from the couch and Tony made an aborted move to catch the teen. The Cloak started floating towards the elevator and Stephen rolled his eyes. 

“I guess we are joining you,” Stephen said, and Tony nodded with a smirk. The two men joined the Cloak in the elevator and Tony instructed FRIDAY to take them to Tony’s floor. When they arrived, Tony lead the group down to Peter’s room. He pulled back the blankets on the bed and turned to the Cloak. The garment looked hesitant to let the boy go so Stephen cleared his throat. “Put him in the bed now. We have to return to the Sanctum.” 

The Cloak reluctantly unravelled itself from around Peter and even went so far as to tuck the teen into bed. The Cloak was patting Peter’s hair gently when Stephen cleared his throat once more. The Cloak floated back to its position on Stephen’s shoulders and Stephen rolled his eyes. 

“I will return with more information soon. Hopefully, we will have the sorcerers’ location soon,” Stephen said before beginning to spin his hand. A portal opened and Stephen stepped through, shooting one final look at the teen and Tony. Once the portal had closed, Stephen looked at the Cloak and sighed. “Have you become attached to Stark’s intern? Seriously?” 

The next time Stephen met Peter it was during the battle against the rogue sorcerers. The sorcerers had decided that attacking Stark Tower was their best course of action. Stephen and Wong had arrived to aid the Avengers and had walked straight into the battle zone. Stephen made his way towards Tony who was battling one of the sorcerers. 

“Nice of you to join us,” Tony yelled as he fired his repulsors at the sorcerer. Stephen conjured some ropes and quickly and efficiently bound the woman. He knocked her out and turned to Tony. Tony however was looking over his shoulder, his faceplate raised and a look of horror on his face. “The kids!” 

Stephen turned and noticed the leader of the group disappearing into the fire escape. FRIDAY wasn’t working as the intense magical discharges had shorted out her systems so there was no way to warn the kids or lockdown their area to protect them. Stephen turned to Tony and rested his hand on the other man’s head. Getting a glimpse at the room the kids were hiding in, Stephen nodded apologetically before opening a portal. 

When he stepped through, he noticed that there was a group of kids huddled in a corner of the room. Stark’s intern was standing protectively in front of the group and stood up straight at his arrival. 

“Are you all ok?” Stephen asked the group. 

“Look out!” the intern, Peter, yelled, and Stephen turned slightly too late to avoid the blast fired at him by the sorcerer. He hit the wall hard and groaned in pain. The sorcerer approached the group of kids slowly and Stephen struggled to his knees. 

“I’m sorry you children have to see this,” the sorcerer was speaking to the kids now, but Peter was almost snarling at the man as he stepped closer. “Feisty little child, aren’t you?”

“Try me,” Peter said, and the sorcerer laughed. Before the sorcerer could do anything, Stephen climbed to his feet and fired a spell off at the man. Peter crowded the kids further back into the corner, ensuring that his body was still in front of them like a shield. 

The two sorcerers exchanged spells back and forth with extreme aggression. A soft cry from Stephen’s right distracted him slightly as Peter received a glancing blow from an errant spell. This distraction was enough for the other sorcerer to gain the upper hand. He shot a spell at Stephen which was enough to knock the Sorcerer Supreme onto his back. His Cloak attempted to charge at the other sorcerer, but he quickly restrained the garment with a spell. 

“So, this is how the Sorcerer Supreme falls,” the man hissed as he approached Stephen. “Distracted by some useless brats. You should be ashamed. The Ancient One should never have chosen you as her successor.” 

Before the man could fire what was probably a killing spell, his hands were bound together, and his eyes were covered with a white web. Stephen looked up and noticed Peter firing webs from two devices on his wrist. With the last of his energy, Stephen managed to bind the other sorcerer’s powers. The last thing he saw before he passed out was Peter firing off a few final webs before dropping to his knees beside him. 

When Stephen awoke, it was to the sounds and smells he associated with the Sanctum Sanctorum. He let out a groan and Healer Ashrak appeared beside him. 

“Hello Stephen,” the man said with a gentle smile. “Welcome back.” 

“What happened? How did I get here?” Stephen asked as he struggled to sit up. Ashrak helped him sit up and handed him a small cup of water. 

“You were battling the rogues at the Stark Tower,” Ashrak explained. “From what we have gathered, you have suffered from some magical exhaustion. I’d say your fight with the lead rogue was quite taxing.” 

“That answers one question. What about the second?” Stephen asked. Before Ashrak could answer, the door opened, and Wong walked in. 

“The Spider-Child carried you here. Wouldn’t relinquish you, even when Stark tried to force him,” Wong said and if Stephen didn’t know better, he’d say the man almost sounded fond. “You’ve been unconscious for a week. In that week, Peter has barely left your side, and he certainly hasn’t left the Sanctum.”

“What?” Stephen asked and Wong smirked softly. 

“Put up quite the fight when Stark tried to force him to leave,” Wong said with a laugh. “Wedged himself in the far corner here and refused to come down. Even fired webs at Stark when the man got a suit to try and help him. Eventually Stark relented and left the kid here. Now that you are awake, he’s your problem.” 

“You like him,” Stephen commented, and Wong sniffed. “You do! You’ve come to like the child.”

“He amuses me. Breaks up the monotony,” Wong said dismissively. Stephen knew his friend though. Wong was actually fond of the child, fond in a way he wasn’t with anyone else. “Glad you’re awake. The students have been worried.” 

“Just the students?” Stephen teased and Wong waved his hand at Stephen. “Thanks Beyoncé. Now, where is our visitor?” 

Stephen followed Wong out of the infirmary at the Sanctum and towards the main building. Wong led Stephen into the library and Stephen raised an eyebrow. Wong disliked people in his space for longer than necessary. Peter must have won the other man over if he was being left alone in Wong’s private sanctuary. The two men walked towards one of the back rooms and Stephen heard giggling. When they walked in, Stephen didn’t even try and stop the grin from crossing his features. 

Peter was sitting upside down on the ceiling playing catch (catch of all things) with the Cloak of Levitation. The boy would toss what looked to be a tennis ball somewhere in the room and the Cloak would chase after it eagerly. Each time the ball was returned, the boy would let out a soft giggle before the process repeated. The door closing had Peter looking over at them and the Cloak rushed over upon noticing its master. 

“Dr Strange!” Peter cried excitedly before dropping to the ground. He scrambled over to the Sorcerer Supreme and looked up at him with an eager smile. “Mr Wong said you’d be ok, but you looked really bad. I mean, you looked hurt. That’s what I meant.”   
  
Before Peter could launch into a full-blown ramble, Stephen rested a shaky hand on the boy’s shoulder. Peter took a deep breath and smiled up at the man. 

“Thank you, Peter,” Stephen said, and he watched as the boy let out a deep breath. “I hope you’ve enjoyed your time here at the Sanctum.” 

“Totally,” Peter was nodding enthusiastically as he spoke. “People have been so nice. I mean, I’ve probably been annoying as anything – I ask a lot of questions. But yeah, people have been great.” 

“Questions are good,” Stephen said wisely as he looked down at the teen. “After all, magic’s just science that we don’t understand yet.” 

“Arthur C. Clarke, right?” Peter asked and Stephen nodded. “Yeah that’s what I think. It’s so cool to watch what your students can do. And Cloaky has been introducing me to the artifacts and other stuff.” 

“Cloaky?” Stephen asked but the Cloak of Levitation ignored him, choosing to settle on Peter’s shoulders and stroke his hair. The boy laughed and Stephen just rolled his eyes. “So, tell me, how much longer are you here for?” 

“Well, Mr Stark ordered me to call him when you woke up but I’m having fun,” Peter was pouting by the end of his statement and Stephen was not internally cooing. He most certainly wasn’t. “I guess I should call him though.” 

“Or we could show you a few more spells and whatnot. Why waste such an interesting opportunity?” Stephen said slyly and Peter nodded vigorously. Wong just rolled his eyes and shooed them out of his library. 

2 days later, Tony finally came by to check on the Spider-Child and was stunned to find him sitting with Wong and Stephen. The two men were throwing what appeared to be balls of light and either the Cloak of Levitation or Peter’s webs were retrieving them. 

“So, this is what I get for worrying?” Tony teased, making his presence known. Peter scrambled over to his mentor, chattering away excitedly. Tony looked over at Stephen who nodded firmly at him and Tony nodded in return. “Alright kid. Time to return to the tower. I’ve got a mama spider back there who is demanding the return of her dance partner.” 

Peter walked over to Wong and Stephen and Tony watched as the boy threw his arms around the men, one at a time. Wong ruffled his hair before pushing him away gently while Stephen surprisingly wrapped an arm around the boy’s shoulders. As Peter approached the Cloak of Levitation, Stephen walked over to Tony. 

“Feel free to bring him back anytime,” Stephen commented, attempting nonchalance. “We don’t necessarily want the rest of you troublemakers, but Peter can visit whenever he likes.” 

“Whatever Dumbledore,” Tony said with a knowing smile. “Come on kid. Happy is outside and you know how antsy he gets.” 

Peter trailed after Tony, waving to the sorcerers as he went. The Sanctum became quieter once the boy had left and the two men weren’t so sure that was a good thing. 

When they arrived at the Tower, Peter made his way up to the gym for his dancing session with Nat. Tony entered his lab and opened his spreadsheet. Another two formidable parties (well two and a half if you counted the Cloak of Levitation) had fallen to the Peter Factor. Tony entered the information with a smirk and a laugh. 

** The Peter Factor – 19  **

****

** The Avengers and Co – 0  **


	17. Hank Pym

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second update today to hopefully make up for how long it's been. I have the next chapter half written as well so it has been a productive weekend.  
> Pleas enjoy :)

“Why are you dragging me along? You know I hate Stark,” Hank Pym was not whining, or pouting thank you very much. He was a grown man with an adult daughter. He was a world-renowned scientist and genius. HE WAS NOT WHINING OR POUTING!

“Dad, Tony has been developing some new technology for his suits,” Hope said for what felt like the hundredth time. “He wants to know if it can be integrated into our suits as well. In the long run, it will be extremely beneficial for any Avengers missions we need to go on.”

“Besides, Cassie is up at the Compound and she mentioned she has missed you,” Scott threw over his shoulder as they drove.

Hank huffed in resignation. Both his daughter and her partner knew Cassie was a weakness for him. He wasn’t generally a fan of children but that seemed to only make Cassie want him around more. She’d even taken to calling him “Grumps” which everyone (including himself but he would never say a thing) found endearing.

“Fine. But one comment from his egotistical mouth and I’m out of there,” Hank said, trying in vain to get in the last word. Hope simply rolled her eyes at her dad and focused on the road in front of them.

When they eventually arrived at the Compound, Hank slowly emerged from the car. He followed his daughter and Scott and barely (just barely) held back the groan at who met them. Stark was standing there in all his glory, those obnoxious sunglasses perched on his face.

“Welcome Tiny, van Dyne, Pym,” Tony said, greeting each one of them with a smile. The smile he directed at Hank could have been considered a grimace if one interpreted it that way. “The lab is all set up, but I think the Little Boss is waiting so best get to her first.”

“She with her hero?” Scott asked with a grin as the group followed Tony into the compound.

“Of course. Hasn’t left his side since she got here. Better watch that one Scotty, she might be developing a crush,” Tony teased, and Scott started spluttering. Hank followed silently, trying to determine who the two men were talking about.

He knew about Cassie’s kidnapping. Upon finding out, he had been apoplectic. The day after she was returned to her parents, Hank had shown up on Scott’s doorstep with a gift basket for the girl. Cassie had launched herself off the stairs into his arms and told him all about a mysterious teenager named ‘Peter’ who had protected her and the others from their kidnappers. Hank had to hand it to the teen, he had guts. Not many teenage boys would put themselves in danger for three other kids.

The group approached one of the common areas of the Compound and Cassie’s giggling could be heard echoing throughout the halls. Tony pushed the door open and the group entered, smiling at the scene in front of them.

Cassie was being chased around the room by a laughing teenager. It looked like Cassie was holding a book in her hands as she ran, and the teenager was attempting to retrieve it. The teenager noticed the group first and stopped in his track, waving happily.

“Petey, why’d you… GRUMPS!” Cassie cried excitedly as she noticed why Peter had stopped. She raced towards the group and jumped at Hank. Hank caught the young girl and hugged her tightly. “Hi Grumps!”

“Hi Little Ant,” Hank said fondly before putting the girl down. He looked over at the teen and raised an eyebrow. Cassie noticed where he was looking and started dragging him over to the teen. “Who’s your friend Little Ant?”  
  
“Petey, this is Grumps. Grumps, this is Peter. He saved me,” Cassie said eagerly as she looked between Hank and Peter.

“Peter Parker sir,” Peter said as he stuck his hand out. Hank shook the hand firmly, eyeing the teenager.

“Dr Hank Pym,” Hank said, almost condescendingly. He knew his daughter was shooting him a disapproving look, but he was surprised at the look that crossed the boy’s face.

“Wow, Dr Pym,” Peter said, and Hank raised an eyebrow. “I’ve read your work on the Quantum Realm. It was fascinating. And I studied your wok on ants last year in my biology class.”

“Oh really?” Hank said. He was becoming more and more intrigued by this teenager as time passed. Hank then shot a sly look over at Stark. “So obviously Stark hasn’t completely ruined you?”

Peter’s face resembled a confused puppy and it was then that Hope decided to step in. She stepped up to her father and rested a hand on his shoulder.

“Hey Pete,” Hope said, and Peter smiled at the woman. “Come on dad. We’ve got work to do and the kids were in the middle of a very intense game.”

Hank nodded at Peter before following his daughter out of the room. He would definitely be keeping an eye on the young teen.

As the day progressed, Tony and Hank became embroiled in a competition surrounding who had designed the best suit and the best technology for suits. Hope and Scott had rolled their eyes at their behaviour but knowing there was nothing they could really do to stop it, they watched on, ready to break up any arguments that were sure to develop.

As the days passed, Hank had begun to silently begrudge the fact that Stark was an intelligent man. More than his father. But unlike his father, he didn’t use his genius to prove he was superior to others. Surprisingly, Stark was open to criticism about his work and when providing his own constructive criticism, was respectful of the technology’s creator and purpose (with the exception of Hammer Tech but that was one of the few things both Hank and Stark could agree on).

Hank was walking down the halls of the compound one morning, looking at the latest suit data when he heard a voice in one of the labs. Curiosity got the better of him and he opened the door. Inside was Peter, sitting at one of the work benches with a few different blueprints open on the holotable.

“What are you looking at kid?” Hank asked and the boy turned. He didn’t seem surprised that Hank was there, it looked as though he had been expecting him.

“Oh, just my, I mean, Spider-Man’s web shooters,” Peter said as he looked back at the diagrams. “Trying to find a way to allow for more web fluid.”

“Spider-Man huh,” Hank said, moving further into the lab. “So that explains why you were able to take so many hits to protect Cassie and the others.”

When Peter looked up at him with wide eyes, Hank brushed off his protestations.

“If you and Scott hadn’t spilt the beans, I would have figured it out,” Hank continued, and Peter almost breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m an entomologist remember. You display spider like tendencies so it would have been easy to figure out.”

“What tendencies?” Peter’s professional and scientific curiosity was peaked. He’d been trying to catalogue some of his behaviours but every time he tried, he either forgot to write it down properly or he got distracted by Mr Stark and their work.

“You prefer corners of rooms, easier for you to see danger approaching. You are able to tell when someone enters the room without even looking up, and I would wager you have the ability to sense danger,” Hank commented. He moved to sit beside the teen who nodded. “Fascinating. What else can you do?”

“Well, I’m strong. Dr Bruce thinks I’m stronger than Captain Rogers, but he isn’t sure yet,” Peter said thoughtfully. “I mean, I was able to lift a building so it’s gotta be a lot, right? Oh, and I’m sticky.”

“Filing away the building for now, sticky?” Hank’s rarely used paternal feelings reared at the comment about the building, but his scientific curiosity got the better of him. Peter nodded and approached a wall. Without removing his shoes, he started scaling the wall and crawling across the ceiling. Hank watched in awe as Peter sat cross-legged on the ceiling about his head and smiled sheepishly. “Amazing. Do you make webs yourself or are they artificial?”

Peter dropped down from the ceiling (and Hank felt his heart drop until Peter landed on his feet with the grace of a spider) and resumed his seat beside Hank. He opened a drawer beside him and pulled out a small vial before handing it to Hank.

“Well, they are artificial but lately,” Peter trailed off and Hank looked up at him. Peter held his wrist out and Hank noticed some raised lesions on his skin. Hank leant forward and poked one slightly, noting it felt like a spinneret. “Since I’ve been eating better and eating more, these have made themselves known. Nothing has come from them yet but, maybe it will happen.”

“They do feel like spinnerets,” Hank commented, and Peter looked up at him. “This is utterly fascinating. I want to look at your hands under a microscope.”

“A microscope?” Peter asked as he jumped to his feet right after Hank. The older man led the teen out of the lab and down the corridor to the lab Stark had assigned him.

“Spiders are covered in tiny hairs to allow for attachment. They cling to surfaces using dynamic attachment so I’m wondering if that’s what is happening to you,” Hank commented as they walked.

“But I can cling no matter what I’m wearing,” Peter added in as he tried to keep pace with the older scientist. “I mean, I cling through shoes and my suit.”

“Well, looks like we have our work cut out for us,” Hank said, excitement leaching into his tone. He hadn’t been this excited since he first studied ants to make the Ant-Man suit. He stopped in his tracks before turning to Peter with wide eyes. “Wait. Can you communicate with spiders?”

“I have no idea, I’ve never tried,” Peter answered honestly, his eyes widening as well. Hank resumed his quick pace, Peter by his side. They entered Hank’s lab and Hank locked the door behind them. No need for nosy bystanders – there was science to be done.

“Ok, FRIDAY, can you run a full body scan of Peter please,” Hank ordered as Peter stood in the middle of the room. “Take note of body temperature, any abnormalities in his physiology and any changes that have occurred.”

As FRIDAY did as Hank asked, Hank opened up some new files on his tablet to allow for him to take notes.

“A normal human body temperature is 98.6°F but Peter’s is sitting around 94.1°F,” FRIDAY chimed from above and Hank started writing furiously on the tablet. “I have also identified microscopic hairs on his fingers and all over his body.”

“FRIDAY bring up an enhanced picture,” Hank ordered. The image was projected onto a wall behind them and Hank stared in wonder. “Fascinating. Just like a spider.”

“Dr Pym, it appears as though Peter has begun to develop tubular growths in both wrists,” FRIDAY continued, and Hank’s eyes lit up. “They appear to be causing no harm but are considered an abnormality.”

“Spinnerets,” Hank murmured, writing more notes. Peter was looking at his body in wonder. Hank looked up and smiled. “I think you might have the capacity to develop biological webs one day.”

“So cool,” Peter whispered under his breath and Hank nodded. “What else can I do?”

For the rest of the day, Hank and Peter studied Peter’s mutation. They both ignored FRIDAY’s lunch reminder, too wrapped up in their work. Peter knew he should probably eat something, but he was having too much fun.

“Now, we need to find out if you can talk to spiders,” Hank commented mid-afternoon. He pulled a small device from his pocket and showed it to Peter. “This is how we talk to ants. It’s an EMP communication device that is built into Hope and Scott’s helmets. It allows them to talk to and control ants. Now, we could obviously try and rig one of these up for you, but I thought we could try without it first. Who knows, maybe we will get lucky.”

“Before you torment the boy further, it’s time to eat,” Hope’s voice from behind them had both Hank and Peter jumping in surprise. When FRIDAY had been unable to rouse the two scientists, she had told Hope and asked her to go and retrieve them. “Come on Pete, you must be starving by now.”  
  
As if on cue, his stomach grumbled loudly. Peter blushed red but Hank frowned at him.

“Why did you tell me you were this hungry?” Hank chastised. Peter’s blush darkened as Hank raised an eyebrow. “How do you expect to remain focused if you aren’t eating? Food now.”  
  
Hank and Peter both stood and followed Hope out of the lab. She led them down to the common room where Scott and Cassie were sitting, both eating a sandwich.

“Now, what do you want on your sandwiches?” Hope asked as Peter and Hank sat down beside Cassie. When Peter made to stand, Hope shook her head. “No. Sit. Tony is busy in a meeting so he can’t fuss but I sure can.”

After giving Hope their sandwich requests, Cassie drew Peter’s attention to her.

“Have you been having fun with Grumps?” Cassie asked and Peter nodded. “What have you been doing? I tried to find you, but Miss FRIDAY said you guys were busy.”

“We’ve been studying my Spider-Man abilities,” Peter explained. Cassie looked up at him with wide, curious eyes. “We were just about to see if I can talk to spiders or if I need a device like your dad.”

“Dude imagine the pranks if you could control spiders,” Scott said as a wistful, mischievous look crossed his face. Peter nodded excitedly and Hank rolled his eyes. “I mean, Sam is already terrified of what you can do. He screamed like a wuss when you were sitting in the corner of the room one night.”

Scott launched into the story so Cassie and Hank could understand as Hope brought the sandwiches in. She had made Peter three large subs full of meat, cheese, and veggies while Hank only had one.

“It’s not my fault I like being up high,” Peter protested weakly in between bites.

“Agreed. It’s the spider in him,” Hank chimed in and Peter smiled gratefully. As they had worked, Peter had mentioned to Hank that sometimes he felt like a freak with the powers the bite had given him. Hank had been quick to reassure him that what he could do was amazing and anyone who thought he was a freak would be answering to Hank and his army of ants.

After lunch, Hank and Peter returned to the lab to continue their work.

“Ok, FRIDAY, monitor Peter closely throughout this process,” Hank said as he placed electrodes on Peter’s head. He was going to monitor Peter’s brainwaves to see if anything changed as they tried to call the spiders. “Now Peter, take your time. Remember to call out the any spiders using only your mind.”

Peter nodded and took a deep breath before closing his eyes and presumably doing as Hank asked. The waves from Peter’s brain spiked slightly as he thought intently, and Hank noted down any and all changes. After 5 minutes, nothing seemed to be happening.

“Ok Pete, we may need to try something else,” Hank said but Peter shook his head.

“Hang on,” Peter said, and Hank frowned. He was about to question the teen when Peter turned to the door sharply. “There. I think it worked.”

Hank turned and gasped. Sure enough, what looked to be a wolf spider was making its way into the room hesitantly. Peter stood, the electrodes still attached to his head and approached the spider. It didn’t run away like Hank expected, instead the spider appeared to stare at Peter.

“Hey bud,” Peter said softly and to Hank’s surprise, the spider lifted a leg and waved it at Peter. Peter held his hand out and waited for the spider. “Want to come meet my friend?”

The spider crawled onto Peter’s open palm and Peter ran a finger down the spider’s back. Peter approached Hank with a giant grin on his face.

“It worked!” Peter’s excitement was contagious, and Hank joined him as he grinned. “I can understand her. She said she heard me calling from outside.”

“This is absolutely fascinating,” Hank was in awe at what he was watching. His life’s work as an entomologist had never prepared him for this. “What else does she say?”  
  
“My web is weird,” Peter said and both he and Hank laughed. “She said that I’m the weirdest spider she has ever seen.”

While Peter and the spider talked, Hank excitedly wrote notes down about this phenomenon. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. The kid was able to communicate with spiders without the help of technology.

“This is so cool,” Peter murmured as the spider crawled up Peter’s arm to his shoulder. Peter had always been terrified of spiders (something that Tony had teased him about when he found out) but now after finding he could talk to them, they didn’t seem as frightening. Peter looked at the spider before looking over at Hank. “He’s pretty cool. He’s been teaching me how to talk to you guys. Did you want to go back outside?”

Hank smiled as the boy pet the spider on the back before carrying her over to the window. Peter rested the spider on the grass and Hank could hear him promising to see her again soon. He closed the window once she was free and turned back to Hank with a grin.

“Well that was certainly something,” Hank said, and Peter nodded. before he could say anything else, Hank found himself with an armful of teenage superhero. “What brought this on kid?”

“I’ve never had a grandpa before,” Peter murmured. “I mean, Mr Stark is like a dad, don’t tell him that, I would die of embarrassment. But you’re like a grandad. I really like it.”

“Well, thanks kid,” Hank said, feeling choked up. He knew Cassie thought of him like a grandfather, but it surprised him that the teen also felt that. “You know, Cassie calls me Grumps. I guess you could call me that too. If you want.”

Peter nodded tearily and buried his face back into Hank’s chest. Hank patted the boy on the head and smiled gently.

Unbeknownst to Hank and Peter, Tony had heard their whole conversation. He’d been coming from a meeting about a potential mission and had decided to drop in on his Spider-Kid. To hear Peter thought of him as a dad initially terrified Tony but the more he thought about it, the more he embraced it. Plus, knowing the boy would now start calling Hank ‘Grumps’ just made the situation more hilarious. Tony knew that the second the nickname was heard, the Avengers would begin competing for who could be called ‘Uncle’ or ‘Aunt’ first by the teen.

Tony opened his document on his tablet and marked off another tally. This was definitely a no-win situation for the Avengers.

**The Peter Factor – 20**

**Avengers and Co – 0**


	18. Shuri

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Meme Twins (or Twins of Terror) finally meet...

If there was one person Tony had no doubt would be won over by Peter, it was Princess Shuri. In fact, before the two teens had even me, Tony had added her name to the checklist. Tony was sure the pair would get along like a house on fire. And now he had his opportunity to find out. Peter was on summer break from school and May had given him permission to stay at the Tower. Tony was sure he could convince both Parkers to permanently move into the Tower by the end of the summer break.

“Hey kid,” Tony asked as he entered the lab one day. Peter was working on something at the holotable while BB-8 rolled around his legs. The teen looked up with a smile that not for the first time, melted Tony’s heart. “You better go upstairs and pack a bag.”

“Mr Stark, have I done something wrong?” Tony dropped his tablet at the tone Peter took on. The teen’s face had fallen, and Tony’s heart broke as tears welled in his kid’s eyes. He walked over and scooped the kid up into a hug.

“No bud. God no,” Tony reassured quickly, smoothing down Peter’s hair. God, the kid’s guilt complex and abandonment issues were deeply rooted. “You could never do anything wrong. I just meant, you and I are going on an adventure so you should probably pack a bag.”

“Oh,” Peter said softly. As Tony looked down, he could see Peter was blushing bright red. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to overreact.”

“Don’t worry about it, _bambino_ ,” Tony replied softly. “I’d never kick you out of here. Now, go pack a bag. We will probably be gone a week, maybe two.”

As Peter rushed out of the lab, tears gone, Tony finally realised what he had called the teen. It had just felt natural to do it. He made a note to not comment on it but that didn’t mean he was going to stop. Tony ordered FRIDAY to power everything down before taking the elevator to the penthouse. He could hear Peter rummaging around in his things and Tony smiled as he walked past the room. He entered his own bedroom and smiled at Pepper.

“Hello love,” Tony said before pulling her into his arms and kissing her firmly.

“Hello. What’s got you so happy?” Pepper asked with a fond smile. Tony just shrugged but Pepper knew better. After seeing how Tony reacted to Peter, Pepper had conspired with FRIDAY to record special moments between the two. FRIDAY had shown Pepper Tony and Peter’s interaction a few minutes before and it made Pepper’s heart sing.

“Just life,” Tony replied vaguely. “How’s the packing going?”

“Nearly done. I’ve even been nice enough to pack your things too,” Pepper said, and Tony laughed. “Is Peter packing?”

“Mhm. Poor kid initially thought I was chucking him out,” Tony said, and Pepper could hear the remorse in his tone. “That kid. Seriously.”

Pepper nodded in understanding and kissed Tony on the cheek. While Tony started checking the bags, Pepper ducked down to Peter’s room. The boy was standing in front of his wardrobe with his arms crossed and a confused look on his face.

“Hey Pete,” Pepper said, and Peter turned with a smile. “You alright?”

“Yeah. Mr Stark didn’t tell me where we were going so, I’m not sure what to pack,” Peter admitted, and Pepper cooed internally at the blush that crossed his cheeks. “Where are we going?”   
  
“Wakanda,” Pepper explained, and Peter’s eyes went wide. “Tony and I are planning on discussing a deal with the Wakandan council for access to some Vibranium in exchange for assistance in setting up their international outreach programs. T’Challa has mostly agreed, we just need the rest of the council’s permission. Would you like some help packing?”

Peter nodded in gratitude and Pepper set about helping the teen. It took only 15 minutes for Peter’s bag to be packed. He slid the zipper shut before turning to Pepper. Pepper thought he was going to say something, instead the boy wrapped his arms around her.

“Thank you,” Peter whispered as he nuzzled into Pepper. Pepper leant down and kissed his head, tightening her grip on him as she did so. A noise caught her attention and when she looked up, Tony was not so subtly sliding his phone back into his pocket.

“Can anyone join this hug or is it invite only?” Tony teased as he walked into the room. Peter nodded against Pepper’s chest and Pepper held a hand out to her fiancé. Tony joined the hug, kissing Pepper gently on the lips as he tightened his arms around both Peter and Pepper. After a minute, he sighed. “Alright. As wonderful as this is, the jet is waiting for us. Happy is downstairs waiting for us.”

“I’ve never been on a plane,” Peter commented as the group broke apart and he grabbed his bag. “I mean, the Quinjet doesn’t count if I’m unconscious.”

“Mhm. Sure it doesn’t, _bambino,_ ” Tony teased as he took Pepper’s hand and they followed Peter out of his room. Tony only dropped Pepper’s hand so he could grab their suitcase from the hallway. The trio walked to the elevator and climbed in. the elevator stopped on Bucky and Steve’s floor and Bucky climbed in, bag in hand.

“You didn’t tell me Bucky was coming too!” Peter cried excitedly, pressing himself to the ex-soldier’s side. Bucky wrapped his arm around Peter’s shoulders and squeezed him gently.

“Hmm. I knew I forgot something,” Tony teased in reply.

“Shuri invited me back to see the upgrades you made to my arm. Plus, I have my babies to check on,” Bucky added to which Peter raised an eyebrow. Bucky actually blushed as he answered the unspoken question. “My goats. When the pardons came through, Shuri and T’Challa organised for a farmer to take care of them for me.”

“OMG,” Peter cried excitedly. He started bouncing around beside Bucky. “Can I meet your goats? Will they climb on me? Wait, will they like me?”   
  
“Pete, everyone likes you,” Tony butted in as the elevator stopped at the underground parking lot. Happy was standing beside the limo with the trunk open. He smiled quickly at Peter before it dropped off when Tony smirked.

“Not everyone,” Peter commented as Happy piled the bags into the car. Pepper and Peter climbed in first, followed by a now scowling Tony and Bucky.

“Who? Give me names,” Tony ordered, Bucky nodding in agreement. Peter just rolled his eyes at the men.

“No one in particular,” Peter was lying but all three adults knew they wouldn’t get an answer out of him if he didn’t want to give it. “Now, smile! I’ve gotta send photos to Aunt May.”

The drive to the private airstrip was filled with laughter as Peter took photo after photo. Some were selfies of him with one or all the others while others were candid shots taken mid conversation.

When the group arrived at the private airstrip, Happy handed their bags off to the staff while Peter and the adults clambered out of the car.

“Be good kid, and have fun,” Happy ordered as Peter stared at the plane in wonder. Peter nodded and hugged the man tightly before quickly dashing after Pepper. He climbed aboard the plane and he rapidly tried to take in anything.

“Sit anywhere Pete,” Pepper said fondly. Peter scrambled into a seat by a window and Pepper quickly snapped a photo of his grin. Tony and Bucky climbed aboard after farewelling Happy and once all the checks were done, the pilot began take off procedures. “Get comfy Pete. The flight should take about 11 hours.”

The plane was soon taking off and Peter couldn’t help but feel slightly apprehensive. Tony noticed Peter’s clenched hands and teeth and quickly slid his hand over Peter’s.

“It’s alright,” Tony murmured to the boy. After taking a few deep breaths, Peter was able to relax slightly. He threaded his fingers through Tony’s and allowed his sense to stretch slightly so he could fully immerse himself in Tony’s steady breathing and heartbeat. Soon enough, Peter managed to drift off to sleep.

He woke to Pepper shaking him gently. He smiled sleepily up at the woman and she leant forward to kiss his head.

“Morning honey,” Pepper murmured. “We are just about to land in Wakanda.”

That woke Peter right up. He threw himself at the window and grinned. He knew Wakanda’s borders were protected by the forcefield and ever since Mr Stark had told him about it, Peter had wanted to see.

“Pete, it will look much cooler from the cockpit,” Tony’s voice was fond, and Peter looked up at him. Tony was standing by the door leading to the cockpit and beckoning him to come closer. Jumping to his feet, Peter joined his mentor. The pilot nodded at both Tony and Peter as they entered, and Peter watched in awe as they were granted permission into Wakandan airspace.

“Holy Star Wars,” Peter whispered as the technologically advanced country was revealed. The capitol was in the distance, highlighted by the morning sun. Tony snorted at Peter’s words, but he too was amazed. He’d only been to Wakanda twice before and each time he had forgotten to take in the view. Now though, he was wrapped up in Peter’s excitement.

The plane was soon landing just outside the palace and Tony could see T’Challa, Ramonda and Princess Shuri, as well as the Dora Milaje waiting for them.

“Come on _bambino_. We can’t keep royalty waiting,” Tony said. He expected Peter to follow him but when he didn’t, Tony turned with a raised eyebrow. “You coming Underoos?”

“I don’t look dressed up enough to meet royalty,” Peter said, looking down at his jeans, t-shirt, and Converse shoes. “Maybe I should wait on the plane until later.”

“You look fine _bambino_ ,” jeez this kid was making Tony soft. “Don’t stress. They, like everyone else you meet, will love you.”

Peter hesitantly followed Tony to the cabin where Bucky and Pepper were waiting. The plane door was open, and Peter must have looked terrified because Pepper walked over and hugged him.

“You’ll be fine,” she said comfortingly. Tony and Bucky left the plane first and Pepper handed Peter a bottle of water. After he had taken a few sips, he looked up at the woman. “Let’s go.”

The two of them walked out of the plane and Peter looked around in wonder. There was a line of guards, terrifying looking women who Peter instantly respected, that led to where Tony and Bucky were shaking hands with a well-dressed man.

“Ah, here they are,” Tony said when he noticed Pepper and Peter. “T’Challa, you know Pepper, and this is my intern Peter. Peter, this is King T’Challa.”

“Do I bow?” Peter whispered to Pepper who laughed softly. T’Challa smiled, obviously having heard what Peter had said. He approached the teenager and extended his hand.

“Welcome to Wakanda,” T’Challa said to both Pepper and Peter before focusing his attention on Peter. “Do not worry about bowing, we don’t do that here. I hope you enjoy your stay with us.”

“Thank you for having me. What I have seen already is amazing,” Peter said and T’Challa nodded approvingly with a smile.

“I’m glad,” he said before turning to the two women with him. “Peter, Pepper, may I introduce you to my mother, Ramonda, and my sister Shuri.”

The older woman approached, and Peter respectfully bowed his head. Pepper did the same before taking Ramonda’s outstretched hand.

“Welcome to Wakanda,” Ramonda’s voice was warm and welcoming and Peter looked up into her smiling face. “It is always a pleasure to welcome visitors to Wakanda. I sincerely hope you enjoy yourself here. If you have need of anything, do not hesitate to ask.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” Peter said respectfully and Ramonda’s smile widened. Before she could continue, Shuri stepped up to them, a mischievous grin on her face.

“Hey bro,” she said, and Peter raised an eyebrow at her tone and the gleam in her eyes. “Can I get a sip of that water?”

Oh, Peter definitely knew how to respond to this.

“It’s not water,” he replied. Pepper looked at him in confusion but Shuri’s grin widened.

“Vodka, I like your style,” Shuri continued and Peter struggled not to laugh. By this point, the gathered adults were all staring at the teenagers in confusion.

“It’s vinegar,” Peter said with a deadpan expression.

“What?” Shuri asked, barely holding in giggles knowing what was to come.

“It’s vinegar, pussy,” Peter finished, and the response was instantaneous. Both Pepper and Tony yelled his name and began apologising profusely, Bucky and T’Challa gaped and Ramonda simply stared between the two in confusion. Shuri on the other hand burst out laughing, bending over at the waist, and slapping her knee.

“I love this coloniser,” Shuri said between bouts of laughing. She then turned to her brother, wiping tears from her eyes, and trying to contain her giggles. “Brother, can I keep this one? You kept the last two.”

“Princess, I…” Tony attempted to apologise, not knowing what had come over Peter. Shuri brushed him off and turned back to Peter.

“Want to see my lab?” Shuri asked and Peter nodded eagerly. Shuri then turned to her mother who sighed fondly. “Mother, may I go play with Peter?”

“If his guardians say it is alright,” Ramonda replied. Obviously Shuri had found another teenager who enjoyed those videos she frequently watched while working. Shuri turned to Tony and Pepper with wide, innocent eyes.

“May I please play with your son?” Shuri asked. Both Tony and Pepper were too confused from Peter’s conversation with the princess to say anything about what she had called Peter. Both nodded at her and Shuri turned back to Peter. “Come on. I have so much to show you.”

“What the hell just happened?” Bucky asked as the two teenagers raced away. “Did that just happen? Or have I been wiped again?”

“I think Shuri found someone who speaks her language,” Ramonda said fondly, shaking the other adults out of their stupor. The assembled Dora Milaje were displaying two emotions – protectiveness for their princess and amusement at the conversation that had happened. Okoye best of all knew that now that Shuri had invited Peter to her lab, the pair would be inseparable.

The two teenagers were not seen again for many hours. In fact, the next time they were seen was when T’Challa and Okoye were giving Pepper and Tony a tour of the palace. They had just entered Shuri’s lab when three things happened. The first was a squeal, then a loud crash, followed up by Shuri cackling. The group rushed in and found Peter laying on the floor in a pile of boxes while Shuri lost it laughing.

“Mother trucker dude. That hurt like a butt cheek on a stick,” Peter groaned out as he pushed himself slowly to his feet. Shuri stopped laughing long enough to answer him.

“Watch your profanity,” as soon as the words were out of her mouth, both teens were rolling around laughing once more. T’Challa and Tony both rolled their eyes fondly before the teens noticed their presence. “Can we help you, My King?”   
  


“Just showing our guests around,” T’Challa replied. Peter jumped to his feet and raced over to Tony, wide-eyed and puppy like.

“Mr Stark, did you see? Shuri has made it so the Black Panther suit harnesses kinetic energy for redistribution,” Peter was talking a mile a minute, but Tony managed to get the gist. “I should have brought my suit with me. To the lab I mean. It’s in my suitcase I think.”

“Why did you bring your suit on holiday?” Pepper asked even as Shuri’s eyes widened in excitement.

“Thought I could get some swinging in,” Peter replied with a shrug. “When else am I going to get a chance to swing through the African jungle?”

“You must let me play with your suit,” Shuri butted in excitedly. “I have wanted to get my hands on you, and it, since I saw the first Spider-Man videos on YouTube.”

As Shuri and Peter chattered excitedly about the Spider-Man suit, Tony pulled his phone out and pressed a few buttons. He confirmed with FRIDAY that yet another person had fallen to The Peter Factor. Tony could only imagine the trouble the two of them could get up to and he was glad they were on his side.

**The Peter Factor – 21**

**Avengers and Co – 0**


	19. Okoye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter gets to see the inner workings of Wakanda's main protectors. Surely warriors like the Dora Milaje can beat the Peter Factor... surely

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Story time:   
> 1st of all - i am so sorry for the delay in publishing this chapter. I could give you a tonne of excuses but it all boils down to my mental health taking a bit of a nosedive of late and impacting on my drive to write. I've had this chapter written for over a month but for some reason, any time I went to post it my brain would just nope out and not let me.   
> This has also impacted on Infinity Redux as well so for those waiting on that update, I will hopefully have that next chapter done soon (aiming for finished by the weekend) to post as well. 
> 
> SO WHAT'S CHANGED:   
> I have started NaNoWriMo which has helped my drive to write significantly. I started an original work in 2018 and then didn't touch it again until earlier this year. The goal for this month is to finish this novel which is also giving me the drive to work on these stories.
> 
> Once again, I am so sorry for the delay. I will try my best to never leave it over a month between chapters again. Just know that all the love and support I have been getting has helped immensely and while I may not always reply to every comment, I read EVERY SINGLE ONE! I even have a few printed out and pinned to my message board so when I'm feeling down I can look on them and remember why I want to write and be a writer. 
> 
> Thank you so much for the love and support and sorry for this extremely long note.   
> Much love,   
> Bronte :)

**Chapter 19 – Okoye**

**Note: _Bold Italics_ are Xhosa**

Okoye watched from the sidelines of the training room as Shuri and Peter tested (played with) the Spider-Man suit. Just as she had predicted, the two teenagers had clicked instantly. The Americans had been in Wakanda now for 5 days and wherever Shuri was, Peter wasn’t far behind. The princess didn’t have many, if any, friends her own age so the entire court were more than happy for the teens.

The only problem that had occurred came from the fact that both teenagers had genius intellect and without constant supervision, their ideas could be quite terrifying. One invention for example had almost given the Queen Mother and Pepper heart attacks. The two women were having lunch in the Queen Mother’s day room when they heard knocking on the window. This should not have been possible considering her windows were in one of the top rooms of the palace. The two women looked out of the room to find both Peter and Shuri waving at them, clinging to the glass by their feet.

Shuri had been intrigued by the concept of Peter’s spider stickiness and had striven to replicate the phenomena. She ended up inventing a sticking solution that replicated the fine spider hairs (the teens had promptly called Grumps Pym to tell him all about it). She had sprayed the solution on her shoes and rather than testing it out somewhere safe, i.e. somewhere with padding on the floor, they jumped right in the deep end and scaled the palace. When the Dora Milaje had burst through the door with Tony and T’Challa in hot pursuit after hearing the two women scream in fear, the two teenagers were being dragged inside the window by their mothers and berated fiercely.

Since then, the Twins of Terror were not allowed to be in a lab unsupervised. Any inventions had to be approved by Tony and T’Challa and testing was always done under strict supervision. Today it was Okoye’s turn. Truthfully, the boy had begun to grow on all members of the Dora Milaje. He was respectful of their positions and their skills, something some of the other foreigners had not been since Wakanda opened its doors to the outside world. He would ask questions in a way that showed he was truly interested and not just being condescending.

“Peter, tell me about the Spidey-Sense,” Shuri ordered. Peter stood on the ceiling above her and moved to sit cross legged while he thought.

“I can’t describe it other than its like a sixth sense. I get a tingle in the back of my neck that then spreads throughout my body. It tells me when there is danger and when to avoid things. Its like anxiety on crack to be honest,” Peter explained.

**_“Okoye throw your spear at him,”_** Shuri ordered, speaking Xhosa so Peter wouldn’t understand. Okoye raised an eyebrow but nodded at the princess.

When she was sure Peter wasn’t paying attention, Okoye raised the spear and threw it, aiming straight for his head. To the surprise of both her and Shuri, Peter flipped out of his seated position, grabbed the spear mid-air and landed gracefully on the floor.

“Amazing,” Shuri said as Peter searched the room for more danger. When he found none, he turned to Shuri with a raised eyebrow. The princess raised her hands in surrender. “What? It was for research purposes.”

“Very funny,” Peter replied sarcastically before walking over to Okoye. The warrior took the spear with a nod. “You have amazing aim. I’ve been working on knife throwing with Ms Nat but don’t tell Tony that. He’ll freak out.”

“Thank you, child,” Okoye said with a raised eyebrow. “If you are only just learning how to throw blades, what weapons do you use in your suit?”

“Oh, I don’t use weapons,” Peter replied as Shuri stepped up beside him. At Okoye’s frown, Peter continued. “Mostly I dodge or use my webs. I usually just tie up criminals and leave them for police to find.”

“ ** _Ridiculous,_** ” Okoye hissed under her breath. Shuri snickered but Peter just looked confused. “What if your enemy has a weapon?”

“Like I said, I dodge,” Peter said with a shrug. Okoye let out a frustrated sound at that and Peter began to resemble a chastised puppy. “Sure I probably get stabbed or shot way more than I should but I heal. Bucky and Ms Nat have been helping me improve my hand-to-hand combat for the past few months.”

“Unacceptable,” Okoye said and both Shuri and Peter shared a look. “If you plan to be a superhero and spend time with our princess, you need training. While you are here, you shall train with the Dora Milaje. By the time you leave Wakanda, we will have ensured that you never get stabbed again.”

“Wow,” both Peter and Shuri whispered excitedly. Shuri knew it was an honour for anyone to train with the Dora Milaje, let alone a male from a non-Wakandan culture.

“Alright, I need to get things ready. Go and see the White Wolf. Zia and I will fetch you when things are set up,” Okoye ordered. Peter and Shuri nodded and raced out of the room. Okoye stormed down to the room where she knew T’Challa and the Americans were meeting.

“Okoye, have the children broken something?” T’Challa asked as Okoye entered.

**_“No, My King. I was just informing you that I have sent them to the White Wolf,”_** Okoye said firmly. T’Challa raised an eyebrow and nodded for Okoye to continue. **_“Peter is untrained. How can he protect people without training?”_**

****

“Ok, I heard Peter’s name. Did he break something?” Tony asked hesitantly and Okoye turned to him.

“He did not. But he will be starting training with the Dora Milaje when he returns,” Okoye said forcefully. Both Tony and Pepper paled and T’Challa shook his head at her blunt tone.

“Perhaps you should ask permission first, Okoye,” T’Challa said teasingly but Okoye just scoffed.

“I am going to ensure their son no longer returns home with stab wounds,” Okoye replied factually. “He will learn to not rely on those webs of his. I did not think this required permission.”

“Son? Peter isn’t our son,” Pepper commented softly despite the fact both adults were starting to feel like he was.

“Bah, maybe not by blood. But he is your son,” Okoye replied with a wave of her hand. She then turned to T’Challa again. “Do I have your permission my king? If not, I could ask Lord M’Baku if he would mind training the child. I can’t imagine Peter would find that pleasant.”

“No need for threats Okoye,” T’Challa said exasperatedly. “If Tony and Pepper are ok with it, you have permission to train him. He will be well taken care of by the Dora. They are the best warriors and teachers Wakanda has.”

“Alright,” Pepper said, still slightly unsure but reeling from Okoye’s assessment of their feelings for Peter.

Okoye nodded and spun on her heel to go and prepare the training room. Two hours later she had assembled a few of her warriors and informed them of what they would be doing. Then, she and Zia went to the White Wolf’s old hut where the children would be.

When they arrived, Peter was sitting in the grass beside Bucky, both of them with goats in their laps. The princess was running around with another two goats chasing her, trying to steal the food she was holding.

**_“White Wolf,”_** Okoye said fondly as they approached. Bucky and Peter both turned and Peter smiled widely at the two women. “Peter, this is Zia. She will be one of the instructors.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you ma’am,” Peter said respectfully and Okoye watched as Zia fought back a smile. “Thank you for doing this. I really appreciate it.”

**_“I want to keep this one,”_** Zia said and while Peter looked confused, Bucky, Okoye, and Shuri all laughed.

“Come along Princess, Peter, training is about to begin,” Okoye said. “Shuri, we should probably do some refreshing of your skills as well.”

“Bye Bucky,” the two teens chanted. Peter patted the goats one final time before he and Shuri followed Zia and Okoye back to the palace. The other Dora Milaje were awaiting their arrival and Peter felt a mix of apprehension and excitement.

“Both of you, go change,” Okoye ordered. The twins grabbed the piles of clothes Okoye had laid out (Peter’s included his web shooters but not his whole suit) and headed for the changerooms. When they returned, as eager as newborn lion cubs, Okoye addressed them again. “Princess, you will be continuing your training with Eshe and Masika. Peter, you will be training with Zia, Ayo, and myself.”

Peter walked over to the two women assigned as his teachers and smiled at them with only a small amount of apprehension.

“Okoye tells us you have superpowers that tell you where danger is,” Ayo said and Peter nodded. “Powers can only do so much in battle. You must learn how to move and fight without them.”

“Ok. Should I take my web shooters off? I mean, I tend to rely on them for most of my quote unquote fights,” Peter commented and Ayo and Zia looked at one another. When they nodded, Peter removed the web shooters and placed them to the side of the room.

“Now, show us what Natasha and the White Wolf have been teaching you,” Zia ordered. Peter moved into the defensive stance Natasha had shown him and Ayo moved to the offence.

Zia watched as Peter and Ayo traded blows (Ayo landing far more hits than Peter), taking note of his stance and form. After 15 minutes, Peter was laying on the floor panting heavily after being thrown down harshly again by Ayo.

“Well, there is some good news,” Zia commented. Peter took Ayo’s hand and took a sip from the water bottle she handed him. “You are not a total novice. You are graceful which is beneficial as well. But there is much you have to learn.”

“I’m ready,” Peter said eagerly and both Zia and Ayo nodded at his tone.

For the next four hours, Zia and Ayo taught Peter the basics of Wakandan Martial Arts as well as Wakandan spear fighting. At some point, T’Challa entered the room, followed by Tony, Pepper, Bucky, and Ramonda. They arrived just Zia managed to throw Peter across the room with extreme force. Peter noticed the crowd that had gathered and waved with a pained smile.

“Is this safe?” Pepper asked softly as they moved to sit and watch the training.

“The Dora Milaje are some of the best warriors in the world,” Ramonda said comfortingly. “They are also the best trainers when it comes to fighting techniques. Both T’Challa and Shuri have been trained by the Dora. I wouldn’t have trusted anyone else with their training.”

Pepper nodded hesitantly but she looked across at the smiling Peter. Sure the boy was probably hurting, but he appeared to be having the time of his life. He was listening intently to Ayo as she spoke about how to improve a technique, even allowing her to move and adjust his body to improve his stance.

“He’ll be alright Pep,” Tony added, only slightly concerned for the teenager. “Maybe I wont stress as much when he’s out patrolling.”

“That’s a lie,” Peter called out from where he was dodging Ayo’s blows. “You could be the Olympic Stress Champion.”

“Quiet child,” Tony fired back, and Peter laughed before focusing his full attention back on the fight. Tony could feel his heart in his throat as Peter and the warrior dodged around each other. He made an aborted move to intervene when Okoye threw both Peter and Ayo spears but managed to stay in his seat.

“He is a quick learner,” Okoye commented as she approached the group. She had noticed Tony’s action and had rolled her eyes. “He picked up the basics of our martial arts quicker than any student I’ve had before.”

The group watched as Peter and Ayo fought with spears and Pepper let out a loud gasp as Peter dodged the spear, spin kicked Ayo in the chest, used his spear to disarm her, and held the spearhead to her throat. After a moment of silence, Okoye and T’Challa both started applauding. Peter was wide-eyed as he stared at his hands then at the smiling Ayo on the ground.

“Well done **_Spider_** ,” Ayo said approvingly. Peter dropped the spear and helped the woman to stand. “That was your first victory. Be proud but not complacent.”

“That was so cool!” Peter said excitedly before bounding over to Tony and Pepper. “Did you see that Mr Stark?”

“I did kid,” Tony said, both fond and proud. Bucky reached forward and pulled Peter into a teasing headlock.

“Good job. Can’t wait to see you pull that one on Nat,” Bucky said and Peter quickly wiggled out of his grip. He turned to Okoye who was staring at him.

“Well done **_Little Spider,_** ” Okoye said and Peter straightened his posture. “Like Ayo said, don’t become complacent. That is enough for today. Tomorrow, you and I will fight.”

“Yes ma’am,” Peter said respectfully. Okoye watched as he made the “Wakanda Forever’ sign and bowed slightly to her. “Thank you for training me. Thank you all.”

The Dora Milaje all repeated the action to Peter before Okoye dismissed them. As they walked out of the training room, they smiled or nodded fondly at the boy, Zia going so far as to ruffle the boy’s sweaty hair. Okoye nodded at T’Challa and Ramonda before following her warriors out of the room.

As soon as breakfast was over the next morning, Peter was anxiously waiting in the training room. No one had to know that Okoye was just as excited as the boy, she just hid it better. She smirked at the boy who was standing in the middle of the room waiting for her.

“Before we begin,” Okoye said seriously and Peter tilted his head in confusion. I must thank you **_Little Spider_**.”

“Thank me? Why?” Peter asked in confusion. He should be thanking her. She was doing something for him that no one expected of her. She was going out of her way to train a teenager she had only known a few days in the fighting style of her culture.

“Princess Shuri has never really had a friend her own age,” Okoye explained. “She has always been advanced, even by Wakandan standards. Since you have been here, she has been a different person. It brings all of us joy that she has someone she can be herself with. So, on behalf of all the Dora Milaje, thank you.”

“You’re welcome. But it wasn’t hard,” Peter answered honestly. “Shuri is the greatest.”

“Alright, enough,” Okoye said, grabbing her spear and tossing one to Peter. “Let’s dance **_Little Spider_**.”

Unbeknownst to the two parties, Tony and T’Challa had arrived at the training room to watch a bit of Peter’s session with Okoye. They had overheard everything the warrior woman had said and realised that Peter was now far more powerful than he could ever imagine. He had a tribe of warrior women ready to defend him should he need it. This really was a losing cause.

**The Peter Factor – 22**

**Avengers and Co – 0**


	20. T'Challa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will the great King of Wakanda fall victim to the Peter Factor?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so terribly sorry for the long delay. For the last two months my mental health has been quite affected and I have been going through some significant life changes. 
> 
> To cut a long story short, I've just started a new job (at a bookstore which has been my dream since I was 4 years old) which has rekindled my love for not only reading, but also for writing. I have made new friends who understand and appreciate my dreams to become a published author and that has helped not only in writing my Original work but also in writing my fanfictions. 
> 
> Thank you so much for all your unwavering support. I have read every single comment you have written. I have even started printing them out and sticking them on my wall. 
> 
> You will never know how much your love and support has helped me over the last two months. It has kept me going and lifted me up. 
> 
> I hope to have the next chapter of Infinity Redux completed in the next few days, as well as continuing The Tumblr Series.

**Chapter 20 – T’Challa**

When T’Challa first met Peter, he will admit he brushed the teen off. He was so focused on his goal of getting Sergeant Barnes to face justice that he really didn’t care who Stark had brought with him to the battle. So long as the person was there to fight, T’Challa didn’t really care about anything else. The next time T’Challa had seen the teen was when he, Tony, and Pepper landed in Wakanda for the trade negotiations.

To the surprise of no one, Peter and Shuri got on like a house on fire but T’Challa hadn’t had the opportunity to spend much time with the teenager. Most of his time had been tied up with Tony and Pepper and the business that had brought them to Wakanda. His first opportunity to spend time with Peter had come when Shuri and Peter had dragged him and Tony into the marketplace to explore.

“This place is so cool,” Peter said in awe as he looked around at the stalls. The mix between traditional Wakandan culture and futuristic technology was astounding to Peter and he couldn’t stop grinning as he looked at T’Challa. The king found himself smiling as well, the boy’s excitement infectious in its innocence.

“I am glad you like it here,” T’Challa said to Peter, drawing the boy’s attention to him. T’Challa then looked around hoping to see Shuri and Tony. Both were deeply engaged with one of the vendors and T’Challa knew they would be busy for a while. “Come, there is so much more to see. And anything you should like to purchase, feel free to do so.”

“Oh, I couldn’t do that Your Majesty,” Peter said as a deep red flush crossed his face.

“Don’t worry,” T’Challa said fondly. “The palace will cover it. I can assure you, a few trinkets or gifts for your family and friends aren’t going to bankrupt us.”

“Only if you are sure,” Peter said and once T’Challa had nodded, the boy dashed towards one vendor. T’Challa followed and grinned as the boy picked up a woven blanket made by one of the Merchant Tribe elders. “Could I get this please? My Aunt would adore it.”

T’Challa handed over a few coins to the vendor and Peter shot the king a bright smile. The vendor placed the blanket into a wicker basket and handed it to Peter with a grin of her own. The boy bowed respectfully, and the vendor turned to T’Challa.

**“Well, we already like this one, my king,”** the woman said and T’Challa laughed. Peter looked confused for a moment before shrugging, thanking the woman again, and moving off to another stall.

“Mr Black Panther sir,” Peter said after they had wandered for a while and purchased a few different presents. T’Challa had tried to get Peter to call him ‘T’Challa’ but the boy kept using any number of combinations of his titles mixed in with his names, something that the Dora Milaje and Shuri were greatly enjoying. When T’Challa nodded, Peter continued. “Shuri was telling me a little bit about the tribes in Wakanda, but she mentioned you might be better able to fill me in. I just find everything about this place so fascinating.”

“Of course,” T’Challa said and Peter looked up at him with wide-eyed curiosity. “Well, we have 8 tribes spread across Wakanda. The one Shuri and I belong too is called the Panther Tribe. We also have the Border Tribe who obviously protect Wakanda’s borders, the Mining Tribe who are responsible for mining our vibranium, the River Tribe who maintain our waterways and rivers, and the Merchant Tribe who are responsible for the trade and commerce you see around you. The Jabari is the tribe that live in the mountains. they worship Hanuman, the gorilla god and are led by M’Baku.”

“Wow,” Peter said softly and T’Challa raised a single eyebrow.

“There is also the Hatut Zaeraze, or War Dogs. They are a form of secret police and live all over the world. Their main job is to keep an eye on political unrest and then report back to the Tribal Council. The final ‘tribe’ is our tribe of priests. They grew and maintained the garden of the Heart-Shaped Herb. It was destroyed when my cousin took control, but we are trying to find more,” T’Challa finished.

“Can you tell me about how Wakanda was created?” Peter asked almost shyly.

“Why don’t we continue this discussion at the palace?” T’Challa replied and Peter nodded. “There I will be able to show you the books all about Wakanda’s creation.”

Peter and T’Challa made their way out of the marketplace, leaving Shuri and Tony to their own devices. When they arrived back at the palace, T’Challa led Peter into the large library. he gave an amused laugh as Peter grabbed a notebook he had bought from the market and a pen and looked up at T’Challa eagerly.

As T’Challa told the story of Wakanda’s creation, Peter eagerly wrote down everything he said. T’Challa raised an eyebrow fondly but continued with his story. 

“Well, that is certainly interesting, my King,” a deep voice from the doorway had Peter and T’Challa turning sharply. M’Baku was standing in the doorway smirking at the two as he listened to T’Challa’s stories. “Of course, the Jabari tell it differently.”

“How differently?” Peter asked eagerly, approaching the large man with no hesitation. T’Challa watched on in amusement as M’Baku looked down at the excitable teenager. The warrior raised an eyebrow at the boy, but Peter hadn’t noticed. He was staring up at the large man in wide eyed wonder and T’Challa could tell the moment M’Baku broke.

“If the King doesn’t mind me taking over his story time,” M’Baku replied with a smirk at T’Challa. Peter turned his doe eyes to T’Challa and smiled. T’Challa nodded and Peter raced back into the room to where his notebook had fallen from his hands. He sat down and picked up his pen, looking up at M’Baku. The warrior crossed the room and sat on the seat beside the king.

M’Baku told Peter the tale of Wakanda’s creation from the Jabari perspective before branching into some of the Jabari legends. Peter ate up the information, scribbling furiously into his notebook. As M’Baku began to finish up, the door to the library opened and Okoye walked in.

“Forgive the intrusion my King, Lord M’Baku,” Okoye said in English. T’Challa watched as his General smiled fondly at the boy before schooling her features. “The Council have convened. I was sent to retrieve you both.”

“Story time is over,” M’Baku grunted and Peter nodded. He closed the book and looked up at the warrior. “What? What is that face for?”

“I want to thank you,” Peter said softly, almost shyly and T’Challa barely held in a laugh. “I thank most people by hugging them, but I’m not convinced you won’t snap me in half if I tried that.”

M’Baku glared at T’Challa as the king snickered before turning back to Peter.

“No one finds out,” M’Baku barked out before nodding. Peter launched himself at the warrior and hugged him tightly around the middle. M’Baku allowed it for a moment before gently pushing the boy away. “Enough. Jabari do not hug.”

T’Challa stood, followed by M’Baku, and when they turned, Okoye quickly schooled her features. M’Baku let out a huff of annoyance before stalking past the woman and out of the library.

“I am sure Shuri and Tony should be back by now,” T’Challa said as Peter gathered his things. “I’m sure you know your way to her lab by now.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Peter said before shrugging quickly and hugging the King. T’Challa returned the hug before turning and walking towards Okoye.

**_“I shall inform Stark that Peter has tamed the Black Panther and the Great Gorilla,”_** Okoye commented as she fell into step with T’Challa. T’Challa rolled his eyes at the woman and ignored her as they approached the council chambers.

Sure enough, Okoye did inform Tony of the new development and Tony just nodded in understanding. When he saw the size of M’Baku however, he was mildly terrified of the man. But of course Peter could win over the giant barbarian. Tony had had no doubts.

**The Peter Factor – 24**

**Avengers – 0**

******* BONUS *******

**Chapter 20.5 – Interlude**

**** With Peter and Shuri ****

“There you are,” Shuri said as she entered her lab. Peter was sitting on wall, parallel to the floor reading the notes he had written. He looked up as Shuri approached and smiled at the girl.

“Here I am,” Peter replied with a smirk and Shuri rolled her eyes. “I was with your brother. He told me all about the tribes and the legends of Wakanda. Then Mr Lord M’Baku came and explained the Jabari legends to me. It was awesome.”

“Sounds it,” Shuri replied knowingly. She knew better than anyone that M’Baku generally hated outsiders. But no one could hate Peter. She then remembered what she had wanted to talk to Peter about and smiled widely. “Wanna come into space with me?”

“Huh?” Peter asked. In his confusion, he lost control of his stickiness and dropped onto the floor with a loud crash. “Ouch. But space? What? How?”

“Wakanda has a number of satellites orbiting in the in the area between the thermosphere and exosphere and above. One of the furthest ones has been giving off some bizarre readings and they’ve since spiked. Bandile wants to take a ship up to find out what’s wrong. I’m going to go to, and I figured you would want to come,” Shuri explained. Peter nodded eagerly and jumped to his feet.

“I should ask Mr Stark and Miss Potts thought. They’ll be mad if I don’t,” Peter said and Shuri nodded. He grabbed out his phone and dialled Mr Stark’s number.

_“Seriously kid, calling me?”_ Tony teased as he answered the phone.

“It was easier than trying to find you,” Peter replied. He then looked at Shuri who nodded at him to continue. “Shuri and I have a question.”   
  
_“Oh Lord,”_ Tony said, and Peter could hear Pepper speaking in the background. _“What have you two broken?”  
  
_ “Nothing. I promise,” Peter said before putting his phone on speaker.

“I want to take your son into space,” Shuri explained. Tony sputtered out a protest but Shuri barrelled on. “One of our satellites is playing up. We will be safe with Bandile. He is the chief scientist in his field.”

“Please Mr Stark,” Peter pleaded. “I’ve always wanted to see space. I’ll be careful.”

_“I know you will Pete,”_ Tony sounded conflicted, but Peter could hear Pepper comforting him. _“Alright. You can go. But BE CAREFUL.”_

“Thank you!” Peter and Shuri cried excitedly. They hung up the phone and Shuri led Peter to the hangar where Bandile was waiting. He bowed respectfully to the princess and nodded at Peter. The group climbed into the glider the science team had reengineered for space travel and soon they were off.

Meanwhile, Tony was standing in Shuri’s lab with the Queen, T’Challa, Bucky and Pepper. The group were watching a split screen, one view showing the ships trajectory, and the other with audio and visual surveillance of inside the ship.

_“We’re going on a trip in our favourite rocket ship,”_ Both Peter and Shuri were singing loudly and Bandile was simply rolling his eyes at the pair as the ship made its way up into the thermosphere.

“Seriously you two, _Little Einsteins?_ ” Tony commented with a fond shake of his head.

_“There is the satellite, Your Highness,”_ Bandile said after a few more minutes. Peter and Shuri undid their safety belts and approached the front of the ship.

_“Ok. I just need a minute to connect my kimoyo beads to the satellite mainframe,”_ Shuri commented. As she worked, Peter remained focused out of the ship.

“Something is wrong,” Tony said seriously, the smile dropping from his face. Pepper took his hand in hers and Tony squeezed it firmly. T’Challa raised an eyebrow at him and Tony pointed to the screen. “Peter’s left hand. He’s clenching and unclenching it. That’s one of his ticks. He feels something wrong.”   
  
“Shuri, report,” T’Challa said into his kimoyo beads. Bucky strained to focus on the movement and sure enough, Peter’s hand was clenching and unclenching. From the definition of the camera, Bucky could tell he was doing it hard enough for his knuckles to turn white.

_“I’m only just getting logged in. Give me a minute, my King,”_ Shuri snapped as she pressed a button on the ship’s console.

“Pete, what’s going on up there?” Pepper asked, loud enough that she could be heard.

_“Not sure,”_ Peter replied distractedly. His gaze was locked in front of him while Bandile and Shuri worked behind him.

_“Маленький паук (little spider),_ what can you see?” Bucky asked firmly. Tony looked over at the soldier and noticed that he, like Peter, was clenching and unclenching his hand.

_“These readings make no sense,”_ Bandile commented as he looked at the tablet and other screens in front of him.

_“Um, Shuri, Bandile. You might want to see this,”_ the fear in Peter’s voice was palatable and Tony squeezed Pepper’s hand tighter. Shuri and Bandile turned to look where Peter was looking and both let out a concerned string of Xhosa.

“Peter, what is going on?” Tony ordered. He was attempting to keep his voice calm, but he was probably failing miserably.

Before anyone could answer, the ship started moving violently. Thanks to Peter’s superhuman reflexes, he managed to grab both Bandile and Shuri and prevent them from hitting the ground. Once righted, Shuri and Bandile both began typing on their screens with ferocity.

“Shuri! Bandile! Report!” T’Challa demanded. Something had obviously hit the ship but without more information, there was nothing that could be done. T’Challa turned to where Okoye and Ayo were waiting by the door to the lab. “Have Firash and Lesedi get into a ship and go to their location.”

As the two women left the lab, T’Challa turned back to the screen. Pepper was now holding Ramonda’s hand in her spare one while Bucky paced back and forth. Tony was frantically having FRIDAY check the Stark satellites for anomalies in space while also keeping one eye on the boy he thought of as a son.

_“Uh Shuri,”_ Peter’s voice wavered causing the adults back in Wakanda to focus on him. He was staring wide-eyed at something out of their view. Shuri swore and Bandile dropped the tablets he had been holding. _“Mr Stark, Miss Pepper, Bucky, just in case…”_

“NO WAY PARKER!” Tony yelled down the comm line. Shuri was speaking softly in Xhosa (presumably to her mother and brother). “No Pete. No goodbyes. You are going to get your Spider butt back to the ground where I will superglue your damn feet to the floor.”

_“I’d like to see you try,”_ Peter teased softly. _“But listen. I love you guys. Alright. You have to know that, all you guys and all the Avengers. I love you guys. Um, can you tell Aunt May and Ned and MJ that I love them too.”_

“Pete,” Tony’s voice cracked as he spoke. Another foreign object struck the ship and the screen shorted out. Pepper and Ramonda both let out anguished sobs as the screen went dark. Bucky began swearing violently in Russian while T’Challa yelled for the scientists to hurry to the spaceship’s last location. Tony stared silently at the black screen.

He couldn’t have lost his boy. Not now.


	21. Interlude

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's this? TWO chapters in one day. 
> 
> Well I figured you all waited such a long time. 
> 
> This interlude is only short but it helps to move the story into its next arc. 
> 
> Enjoy :)

**Chapter 21 – Interlude**

**** IN SPACE**

Peter was floating. Despite the weightlessness, his body felt heavy. It was as if an elephant was sitting on his chest. He tried to remember what had happened, but he was only getting flashes.

_** A blue light appeared in front of the ship **_

_** Peter called for Shuri and Bandile. **_

_** A hexagonal shape appeared in the vast space before Peter’s eyes **_

_** a ship shot through the shape, colliding with the Wakandan spaceship **_

_** “Get in the space suits. They will give us some protection,” Bandile had called as the ship rocked violently from side to side. **_

_** Peter activated his Spider Suit before helping Shuri into her space suit **_

_** Something else came through the hexagonal shape and collided with the ship. This time a piece of the helm was torn off. **_

_** Peter heard Shuri screaming his name as he was sucked into the vacuum of space **_

Peter knew he was dying but at least he had not only gotten Shuri to safety, but he’d also gotten to see a real Einstein-Rosen bridge!

Peter continued to drift as another ship appeared near him, its crew staring at the floating figure intently before scooping him up.

**** ON EARTH**

Tony was pacing back and forth on the landing pad. T’Challa had sent two more teams of scientists up to the satellite to determine what the hell had happened. Pepper and Ramonda had retired to the Queen Mother’s rooms to await news of their children. Bucky, T’Challa, and Tony were waiting anxiously on the landing pad.

After 30 minutes, the ship re-entered the Wakandan atmosphere. Tony watched as it made its descent. Three medical teams made their way to the landing pad and waited for their patients. The doors opened and Bandile was half carried by two scientists. Behind them was Okoye, carrying a limp Shuri in her arms.

“Where’s Peter?” Tony demanded as the woman approached and T’Challa took his sister from her. When Okoye didn’t answer, Tony became frantic. “Okoye, where’s my _bambino_?”   
  
“Princess Shuri said he helped her into her suit before he was sucked out into space,” Okoye said softly. She rested a hand on Tony’s shoulder as the man began to feel faint. “My sincerest apologies Stark. But it appears your son, Peter, is gone.”

The last thing Tony heard before succumbing to the darkness was an anguished scream. He had no way of knowing that it came from him.


	22. Interlude 2

**Chapter 22 – Interlude 2**

**** IN SPACE**

“Denarian Dey, what have you brought us?” Nova Prime asked as she entered the restricted medical ward in the Nova Corps headquarters. Laying on the bed in front of her being examined by Xandarian healers was a red and blue figure.

“We think a young male. Unknown species,” Denarian Dey replied. “Found floating in the flight path of the Shi-Ari space chase we were engaged in earlier today.”

“It looks humanoid,” Nova Prime commented as the healers worked. One of them pressed the black image on the figure’s chest curiously and the whole group leapt back in surprise. What they had assumed was his skin was in fact a body suit. The healers quickly removed the suit and Nova Prime gasped. “He is a child. What in Gods’ name was a child doing floating in space?”

“Unknown ma’am,” Denarian Dey replied softly. The healers moved the suit to the side and began scanning the boy’s body. Denarian Dey looked at the screen in front of him as the information was transmitted in live time. “Hmm, initial scans indicate the boy is Terran but there is some unknown DNA mixed in with his. Perhaps he has one Terran parent and one from another species.”

“Hm, the DNA looks similar to that of the Arachnae,” Nova Prime commented. She pointed to some of the DNA markers. “I have never seen a hybrid offspring of a Terran and an Arachnae before. I didn’t even know it was possible.”

“Perhaps we can ask him once he awakens,” Denarian Dey commented and Nova Prime nodded.

“Yes. That sounds good,” Nova Prime commented before turning to leave. As she reached the door, she turned back around and addressed Denarian Dey. “Give Mr Quill and his Guardians a call. Perhaps they could be persuaded to return the boy to either Arachnae or Terra once we know more about him.”

“Certainly Nova Prime,” Denarian Dey said with a salute. Nova Prime left the medical ward and returned to her office. Her day had certainly been interesting.

**** ON EARTH**

The Wakandan scientists had been working around the clock to locate the young Parker boy. From what Bandile had been able to tell them, an Einstein-Rosen bridge had opened near the satellite causing the confusing readings. Unfortunately, this meant that there was an infinite number of possibilities for where Peter could be. Despite their immense intellect and scientific prowess, the scientists of Wakanda had yet to master interstellar travel beyond their tiny voyages to their satellites.

The Avengers had been called straight away and after collecting May Parker from her home and the Asgardians from Norway, the group had arrived in Wakanda. Pepper had met them on the landing pad and the woman took one look at the gathered crowd and broke down into sobs. Bruce and May had helped her back into the palace while T’Challa stoically informed the group of what had happened.

“Where is Tony?” Natasha demanded as they entered the palace.

“Stark has had to be sedated. He passed out initially but when he woke up, he became extremely distressed and violent,” T’Challa explained. “The doctors were hoping to bring him out of sedation today.”

“Happy and I will go to him,” Rhodey commented T’Challa nodded and indicated for Okoye and Ayo. The two women led Rhodey and Happy towards the room where Tony had been sedated while the remaining Avengers were taken to the lab.

“Shuri, you need to rest,” T’Challa commented softly as the group entered the lab. The princess had been working without sleep since the doctors had medically cleared her.

“No brother, what I need is to find my friend,” Shuri snapped. “He’s been gone for 3 days.” 

“Shuri, little cub,” T’Challa approached his sister and took her hands in his. Shuri strained against him but T’Challa had both size and strength on his side. She stopped struggling and looked up at her brother with teary eyes. “You must rest. The Avengers are here now so they will be able to assist us.”

Shuri burst into tears and the Avengers all looked away as the formidable princess of Wakanda had to be carried out of the lab by her brother.

The impact one teenage boy could have on a group was simply astounding. Peter had to be alive and they had to find him. There were no other options.   
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick Question for all of you: 
> 
> Would you prefer each of the Guardians to have their own chapter or would you like them in one extra long chapter? 
> 
> I'm easy with either way I just can't decide which one I would prefer. 
> 
> Let me know :)


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